Former builder chief guilty of grand theft

Sentencing guidelines call for Coral Bay president to spend at least 22 months in prison.

By Dan DeWitt, Times Staff Writer
Published February 28, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [Maurice Rivenbark | Times] Steven Bartlett of Coral Bay Construction Inc. tried to keep the company solvent.

BROOKSVILLE - As the housing boom peaked in 2004 and 2005, Coral Bay president Steven Bartlett spent money freely, buying a recreational vehicle, custom motorcycles and flying to the Caribbean and Las Vegas.

"He was bleeding the corporation," said Assistant State Attorney Mark Simpson.

The problem was, the money wasn't Bartlett's but his customers', Simpson and fellow prosecutor Phil Hanson told the jury during Bartlett's three-week trial.

Wednesday, the jurors agreed, finding Bartlett guilty of grand theft.

Though he will not be sentenced until April 16, state guidelines call for him to serve at least 22 months in prison, Simpson said.

Jon Scott, one of the more than 100 victims in the case, watched as Bartlett was handcuffed and led away to the Hernando County Jail, where he will remain until sentencing.

"I kind of feel bad for the guy," said Scott, a Hernando County firefighter.

But then he remembered how many people Bartlett had hurt. Scott and his wife, Anna, paid Bartlett $60,000 to build a house in Ridge Manor and received about $20,000 worth of work.

Bartlett did, eventually, try to do what he was supposed to do, Simpson said.

By then, Simpson said, it was too late and Bartlett could not complete about 100 houses he had agreed to build, or pay many of his subcontractors.

Even so, as the largest builder-fraud case in the history of the 5th Judicial Circuit, it was a marathon for the State Attorney's Office. Hanson regularly worked on it weekends and late into the evening, said Simpson, his supervisor.

"Phil basically lived this case for several months," Simpson said.

Reach Dan DeWitt at dewitt@sptimes.com or 352 754-6116.

[Last modified February 27, 2008, 21:32:39]