LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A victim of Tracy Davenport, a woman who convinced people to pay thousands of dollars for a pool and then never did the work, said he's glad justice was served years later.

Richard Chism is one of a long list of people who gave Davenport thousands of dollars. In 2022, he wanted to install a pool for his grandkids. He saw an advertisement for Davenport's pool company and contacted her. One of her representatives went to Brandenburg to talk with him, and a week later, he signed a contract. He paid more than $50,000 to get his pool ordered.

Several months went by, and, in 2023, Chism found out Davenport filed for bankruptcy. He started investigating and found other people who gave her money and never got any work done. It later came out she was using that money for other things.

"I hear the stories of people that have worked their whole life, and they borrowed from the retirement for their grandkids to have a pool and all that, and it's just very unfortunate, very sad," Chism said.

Last month, Davenport pleaded guilty on 19 federal charges related to defrauding more than 50 customers with her fraudulent pool business.

"It was little peace of mind, at least, (knowing) she was caught," Chism said. "She's going to probably do jail time, or been doing jail time. It's a little bit of satisfaction that she didn't get away with it."

The indictment alleged Davenport's company engaged in a scheme to induce Louisville-area customers into signing a contract for a pool installation and paying a large down payment up front. That money was then used for purposes other than what was agreed upon.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky said in a news release Monday that Davenport pled guilty to wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. Davenport will be required to pay $3,398,536.75 in restitution and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2026.

"I wish there was money to go around to all the people that have lost money, but next best thing is that she got caught and is doing jail time and have to pay restitution at some point," Chism said.

Over the course of many years, Davenport was accused of taking money from many clients in the Louisville area for the pool company she ran with her husband and then never doing any of the work. In 2024, she was indicted on charges she took money from two families in Bullitt County but never built their pools. Davenport also pleaded guilty in Floyd County to felony theft and fraud charges, and several lawsuits have been filed against the pool 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." Another lawsuit alleges Davenport collected more than $5 million from about 60 families for swimming pools that were never installed.

She pleaded guilty in January in another case in Shelby County, Kentucky, and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

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