SWIMMING POOL CONTRACTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO 4 CHARGES OF DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES
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El Paso County Attorney José R.
Rodríguez announced today the sentencing of a local swimming pool contractor accused
of 4 criminal charges of Deceptive Business Practices and one additional charge
of Theft by Check.
On Thursday
November 16th at County
Criminal Court #2, Archie
Castañón pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to one year probation,
and to serve 400 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay $48,000
in restitution to the victims of Deceptive Business Practices, and to pay an
additional restitution of $14,393 to cover 46 hot checks that Castañón gave to
local merchants.
According to the
criminal complaints Castañón, doing business as “Shimmering Pools and Spas” and
“Rainbow Pools and Spas,” received thousands of dollars for the construction of
4 swimming pools at several homes in East and West El Paso, but never finished
the jobs. According to one of the complainants, Castañón also falsely
represented himself as being a member of the Better Business Bureau, the El
Paso Association of Builders and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Margaret
Perez, Director of the local Better Business Bureau, stated “Archie Castañón,
or any name under which he did business, were never members of the Better
Business Bureau. Unscrupulous operators sometimes falsely claim to be members
of our organization to gain the confidence of consumers.”
Ms. Perez
warned, “Check them out. Call our office ask if they are current members and
ask if we have any complaints against their company. It is better to find out before you turn over
your money than after you’ve put it in their hands.”
County Attorney
José R. Rodríguez said consumers should be careful when hiring individuals to
do construction work in their homes.
“Consumers must
be very cautious when it comes to giving money up front to contractors. Pay the
complete amount of the contract only after the job is finished, and after
corroborating the quality of the goods or services.” said José R. Rodríguez,
For
more information about the case, please contact Clinton
Cross at 546-2050.
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Pool Contractor Press Release.pdf