Worker notes 'red flags' at Pro Pool Builders before owner's arrest

PORT ST. LUCIE − Pro Pool Builders started doing business in early 2021 during the COVID pandemic, as the pool construction industry boomed and there were “significant delays due to an abundance of customers wanting pools,” records show.

When other, long-established pool companies on the Treasure Coast estimated one to two years to complete builds, Pro Pool, with an office in Stuart, advertised completion within 90 days of getting permits.

By the time Pro Pool folded in 2022, only three jobs were completed, while there were 56 contracts with unfinished pools and 48 in which ground wasn’t broken.

These were among details in court records supporting the arrest of George Galiszewski, 59, of Port St. Lucie, identified by investigators as the Pro Pool owner. Acting Port St. Lucie Police Assistant Chief Leo Niemczyk last week described him as a “con man.”

Galiszewski was booked in at the St. Lucie County jail Oct. 17, on charges including money laundering $100,00 or more; racketeering; misapplication of construction funds more than $100,000; first-degree grand theft-pursuant to a scheme or course of conduct; and aggravated white collar crime.

Jail records show an additional fail to obtain workers compensation coverage charge.

Most victims — 64 — were in Port St. Lucie; 29 were in unincorporated Martin County; six in unincorporated St. Lucie County; four in unincorporated Indian River County; and one in Stuart, police have said.

“Pro Pool Builders blamed the failure of the business on delays from sub-contractors, supply price increases and a failed business adventure in a gunite company,” records state.

Hundreds of victims experienced losses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars because Galiszewsi skirted rules set forth by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to operate a business, records state. He is accused of putting money into personal accounts and not paying subcontractors and others.

Police stated Galiszewsi couldn’t operate the business per DBPR requirements because he’s a convicted felon and has a poor credit score. He got his fiancée “to be on the business records as the registered agent and the financially responsible party,” according to records, yet she lacked a pool construction background and didn’t play a role in operating Pro Pool.

Galiszewski enlisted a third person with a certified pool construction license, which would allow Galiszewski to construct pools, police wrote.

The pool construction license holder told investigators they began experiencing money problems around November 2021. He said he spoke with Galiszewski and a woman identified as the office manager in January 2022 “in regard to not taking on any more jobs.”

The pool construction license holder said the initial business plan was three to four pools a month.

“Then all of the sudden there were more permits than anyone in the area could build,” he is quoted as saying in records. “So, we took the jobs. We probably shouldn’t have. But we took them.”

Galiszewski described the pool construction license holder as “a drunk loser who lived at home with his parents.”

When a detective asked Galiszewski what happened to Pro Pool, he pointed to “a business agreement with somebody who stole over half a million dollars from us, and we just ran out of money,” records state.

Galiszewski said he set up another entity “to pay for illegal day laborers.”

A Pro Pool sales worker told police she quit after noticing “red flags,” while another sales worker said, “Things I found out along the way caused me to leave.”

Niemczyk has said Galiszewski funded a lavish lifestyle, traveling to Costa Rica and visiting the most expensive restaurants on the Treasure Coast. He also spent some of the money on dating sites and fishing gear, Niemczyk said.

Police questioned a number of charges, including concert tickets, hotels, wine and liquor, medical marijuana and cologne.

Police said he spent $5,800 of Pro Pool customers’ money on a game called “Golf Clash” in the Googe Playstore.

Police Wednesday said the investigation continues.

Galiszewski was held Wednesday in the St. Lucie County jail on more than $2.5 million bond, records state.

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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Records detail Pro Pool Builders case; police said hundreds victimized