Morgan man sentenced to prison in Davis County swimming pool scam cases

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Robert Riley was sentenced last week to up to 15 years imprisonment in three Davis County cases for failing to follow through on deals to build swimming pools.
Last month, Riley was sentenced to prison time in four similar cases in Weber County.
He also must pay $677,188 in all in restitution in the seven cases.

FARMINGTON — A Morgan man has been sentenced to prison time on three counts of communications fraud for failing to follow through on agreements to build swimming pools for three Davis County customers.

Robert Patrick Riley, 51, is already imprisoned in connection with four similar cases in Weber County and facing up to 60 years imprisonment, also for failing to follow through on promised swimming pool construction projects. Last Thursday, Judge Blaine Rawson sentenced the man to one to 15 years imprisonment on each of three counts of communications fraud, a second-degree felony, in the Davis County cases.

The Davis County sentences are to run concurrently with each other, but court papers didn't say whether they're to run concurrently or consecutively with the sentences in the Weber County cases. Representatives from the court and the Davis County Attorney's Office didn't immediately respond to a Monday query seeking comment. In each of the four Weber County cases, Riley faces one to 15 years' imprisonment, with the terms handed down on April 13 by Judge Craig Hall to be served consecutively.

According to charging papers in the Davis County cases, Riley extracted payment for swimming pool and other construction projects and then performed only part of the promised work, sometimes failing to obtain the required permits. He was ordered to pay $171,589 in restitution to one of the Davis County customers, $85,447 to another and $125,478 to the third, or $382,514 in all to the three of them plus interest.

In the four Weber County cases, he was ordered to pay $294,674 in restitution plus interest.

In one of the Davis County cases involving a client from the Hooper area, Riley entered into a contract on Feb. 13, 2023, to install a pool by July 4 that year. The deadline came and went with little progress, eventually prompting the customer's suspicions, who learned Riley hadn't obtained the required soil sample tests or a building permit, according to charging papers.

The two other Davis County customers similarly reported paying funds for work that was never completed.

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