Disgruntled customers speak out after Barrie men are charged with fraud
Days after two Barrie men were charged with fraud in connection with an alleged pool installation scam, disgruntled Sommerland Pools and Landscapes customers are coming forward, claiming they were swindled out of thousands of dollars for services that were never delivered.
Daniel Pecarski is one of at least 16 customers impacted. Pecarski said he was duped out of his more than $20,000 deposit.
"Obviously, the families would love to have their money back, but at least somebody's listening, and it took a long time. There's a lot of hours behind this just to get people's attention," he said. "We're talking half a million dollars here. We're not talking $10,000 here, $5,000 there. We're talking half a million dollars."
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Matthew Tayler, 46, and Jamie Galipeau, 47, allegedly defrauded more than 16 Sommerland Pools and Landscapes customers out of a combined $489,000.
"My husband and I are so grateful and we are looking forward to the court dates and for justice to finally have been served because taking people's money and not providing them with the services they paid for is fraudulent and it's wrong," added Sommerland Pools customer Kelly-May Vallee.
CTV News first broke the story last summer after customers shared their stories.
This past Friday, the two Barrie men were officially charged. Each faces 14 counts of fraud over $5,000, while Tayler is also charged with three counts of mischief.
In a CTV News phone interview last summer, Tayler denied any wrongdoing, saying, "I did not take the money and run. I have zero allegations. I was responsible for operations. I did my part of the company till the funds went dry when Jamie had to step in."
Galipeau told CTV News he cut ties with Tayler when communication broke down and before any issues surfaced with customers.
Pecarski, still awaiting resolution, had a message for the accused, saying, "Listen guys, you had 14 opportunities to go the right road, to take the right course, and you guys chose not to, so now tell it to the judge."
Tayler and Galipeau are scheduled to appear at the Midland Courthouse in June.
The allegations against them have not been tested in court.
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