Pool company owner Tracy Davenport pleads guilty in southern Indiana on theft, fraud charges

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tracy Davenport, the owner of a Louisville-area pool company accused of taking money from dozens of clients and never building pools, pleaded guilty in court in Floyd County on Monday.

Her charges in Floyd County include theft and corrupt business influence.

Davenport is also charged in three cases in Clark County for corrupt business influence, theft and fraud. She and her husband, Matt, are accused of using Davenport Extreme Pools and Spas to take people's money for pools but never build them.

Prosecutors in Indiana said the couple may have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from several customers. According to court documents, the couple took more than $245,000 from four victims in Floyd County to build pools, dating back to 2021. But they never built anything. Prior to that, they turned themselves into the Clark County jail, charged with four counts of theft, four counts of fraud and two counts of corrupt business influence in Clark County — all felony charges.

The company was the focus of a WDRB investigation in January.

Davenport spoke in court Monday, saying "she just wants it to be over with." Floyd County Prosecutor Chris Lane said while the victims didn't speak Monday in front of Judge Carrie Stiller, they plan to at Davenport's sentencing hearing.

"Having the victims present in open court is incredibly powerful for us," Lane said. "And so we are always glad when we have that participation and we can honor that because we are elected to do that for these people. We are always proud to honor and serve these people."

In an unrelated case, she was arrested last month in New Jersey on drug charges.

According to a news release from James Pfeiffer, the Warren County prosecutor, Davenport was a passenger in a truck driven by Corey B. Young, 38, of Brooks, Kentucky. When New Jersey State Police conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on Route 78, police said they found 179 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $250,000. They also found a loaded handgun and a large capacity magazine.

Lawsuits have also been filed against Davenport's company. One alleges Davenport spent customer money on "lavish vacations to Las Vegas, personal cosmetic surgeries, a six-figure recreational vehicle, and the purchase of an expensive pleasure cruising lake boat." One lawsuit alleges Davenport collected more than $5 million from about 60 families for swimming pools that were never installed.

"We encourage you to be wise on who you hire," Lane said. "Always do background checks on everybody — Better Business Bureau, organizations like that. Call and get referrals. Always be wise on who you hire."

Davenport also has several active charges in Bullitt County.

Judge Carrie Stiller will now decide whether to accept Davenport’s plea. If she does, Davenport will be sentenced next month.

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