ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Johns County homebuilder has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to 45 felony charges stemming from an $8.7 million construction fraud scheme that left numerous homeowners with unfinished homes and substantial financial losses.
During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 29, Spencer Travis Calvert, 54, was sentenced to five years in the Florida Department of Corrections after entering guilty pleas last month to all 45 felony counts against him.
The charges included one count of organized scheme to defraud involving more than $50,000, 15 counts of grand theft involving more than $100,000, one count of grand theft, one count of misappropriation of construction funds totaling $100,000 or more, 26 counts of misappropriation of construction funds between $1,000 and $100,000, and one count of misappropriation of construction funds of less than $1,000.
As part of a negotiated plea agreement, Calvert was ordered to pay $8,722,659.05 in restitution to victims. Prosecutors said he paid $1 million at the time of sentencing, which was distributed among the victims based on each person’s percentage of the total financial loss.
In addition to the prison sentence, Calvert will serve 30 years of probation after his release. The plea agreement allows for the possibility of early termination of probation if the restitution is paid in full.
The agreement also requires that any proceeds recovered from remaining lots owned by Calvert or Pineapple Corporation be applied toward restitution. Calvert also agreed to execute default judgments in related civil cases, allowing victims to seek compensation through the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund.
According to prosecutors, between 2019 and 2023, Pineapple Corporation abandoned multiple custom home construction projects in the Vista at Twenty Mile neighborhood in Nocatee. Some homes had roofs installed while others were left with only foundations.
Investigators determined Calvert misappropriated more than $8.7 million in deposits from 15 homeowners who participated in the criminal investigation.
Authorities said Calvert accepted large upfront deposits intended to pay subcontractors working on the homes but failed to pay many of them. As a result, subcontractors filed liens against the homeowners’ properties for unpaid labor, materials and services, forcing victims to pay off the liens while also hiring new contractors to complete construction.
“The defendant will spend the next five years behind bars,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said following the sentencing. “Construction fraud is a pressing problem, especially in growing communities like St. Johns County. The State Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who engage in fraudulent activities.”
The case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and investigators with the Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in a joint operation with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Lieb and Monica Smith prosecuted the case before Circuit Judge Christopher Ferebee.