GUILTY: Jason Bullock convicted of organized fraud of over $50k

During the trial, multiple victims stated that Bullock or a representative of Apex Metal Buildings would provide estimated delivery timeframes of 12 to 16 weeks. When the 16 weeks were up, they would contact Bullock to see what was causing the delays. Bullock allegedly told the victims that time frames had been pushed back due to a myriad of reasons, including COVID-19 and third- party delays.

Victims, like Pettis and Mitchell Kinsey, a deacon at Ephesus Baptist Church in Hilliard, Fla., had paid significant down payments weeks before Bullock closed Apex Metal Building Systems. While Pettis paid a total of $57,335, Kenzie and Ephesus Baptist Church paid Apex $72,055. Both Pettis and Kenzie, like others, were notified by Bullock’s lawyer at the time he had filed for bankruptcy. During closing statements, it was revealed that Bullock was in the process of filing for bankruptcy while still taking their money.

Ultimately, a police report was filed with the Live Oak Police Department (LOPD). During the investigation, it was discovered that Bullock was using funds received from victims to attempt to pay off old debts. According to the LOPD affidavit, purchases were also made for streaming subscriptions, food delivery, and his children’s schooling with a company credit card. During the trial, the state revealed that Bullock had also spent a significant amount of money on trips, such as to Steinhatchee, where he had purchased food and alcohol using a company credit card over a weekend.

For Captain Rountree, piecing the case together for prosecution required significant work.

“I worked on this case until I filed on behalf of 28 victims and dropped off three volumes, 4 inches thick each, of case files to the State Attorney’s Office,” he said following the trial. Beginning in February of 2022, Rountree, with assistance from Detective Jeramie Cheshire, worked the case, interviewing many victims. “I remember how many times I had to explain to the victims, ‘Justice takes time.’”

Rountree also recalled listening to the voice of a man trying to build a home for his 84-year-old mother, who had been defrauded of his savings and crushed under the financial and emotional toll.

“In the process and financial strain, his marriage fell apart. He is a bodybuilder, a huge guy. I’ll never forget how his voice sounded on the phone when he broke down crying while telling me his story,” Rountree said. “While I never find myself wishing anyone hard times, this case, three years later, feels like justice.”

When Bullock was arrested in October 2023, a total of 28 victims had come forward, totaling $671,000. During the trial, only 16 testified. Following Bullock’s arrest, more victims came forward. Businesses that had worked with Bullock also complained that Apex Metal Building Systems was not paying them for their services.

Shaun Loky, owner of RMS Building Company in Dothan, Ala., testified that steel manufacturing was never delayed, contradicting Apex’s claims. Loky said his early business dealings with Bullock were profitable, prompting RMS to extend Apex an $800,000 line of credit—one Apex quickly maxed out through multiple orders it never repaid. As the debt mounted, Bullock attempted to offer Loky a stake in Apex Metal Building Systems to settle the balance. After meeting with Bullock and his wife, Loky declined the proposal.

A similar offer was made to Ernie Caparelli, owner of Suwannee Iron Works & Fence (SIWF). Caparelli testified that Apex owed SIWF $300,000 after the company extended a line of credit to Bullock that was never repaid. In an attempt to resolve the debt, Bullock proposed a partnership, prompting Caparelli to consult his business partner, Stephen Douglas. After reviewing Apex’s books and recognizing the company’s mounting issues, the two declined the offer. Instead, they launched their own metal building company, Axiom Steel Buildings, modeled after Apex but with faster turnaround times. Like Loky, both Caparelli and Douglas testified there were no delays in steel production, noting that some of the victims’ completed buildings were sitting on SIWF’s property—one of which had to be picked up directly by the customer, who paid SIWF out of pocket.

During cross-examination, defense attorneys Lucas Taylor and Adam Morrison leaned heavily on contract language. They argued that there was no provable intent to defraud and that the victims shared responsibility for project delays caused by changes to their designs. They also emphasized that the trial’s focus should be on intent.

Riverbend News attempted to reach Taylor after the trial but was unable to do so by press time.

During closing statements on day four of the trial, Assistant State Attorney Colin Klein, with the assistance of Assistant State Attorney Phillip Kelley, presented their reasons why Bullock should be found guilty. Klein explained to the jury each instance of fraud. When he spoke of Pettis and Kenzie, he emphasized the attempt to defraud, knowing the company would be filing for bankruptcy. He also stressed the need for the jury to find Bullock guilty of organized fraud over $50,000, noting that they need only consider one victim to find fraud, and that Pettis and Kenzie alone met the threshold.

In presenting the defense's closing arguments, Morrison emphasized that the question in the criminal trial was whether Bullock knowingly defrauded the victims.

“I want to be clear with you all,” Morrison said. “If what we were here to talk about was that what happened to these poor people was wrong, there would be nothing to talk about. If what we were here to talk about was whether there was a justification or an excuse for them not to get what they had paid for, Mr. Taylor and I wouldn’t insult your intelligence.”

Following the conclusion of the trial, Pettis, Rhonda Twilley, Richard Ng, Charles Peterson and Kathy Mizell joined Riverbend News for an interview to share their thoughts following the trial. All except for Mizell had testified about their experience with Bullock and Apex Metal Buildings Systems, with each victim expressing mixed reactions.

Peterson said he was satisfied with the verdict, stating, “It could not have gone any better.”

Twilley said she was not happy about Bullock's children being involved in the aftermath of his trial. She was, however, relieved, stating it appeared to her that Bullock had not learned his lesson and was likely to start another business.

“There would have been more victims,” she said. Twilley also said she now has trouble trusting others as a result of Bullock’s actions. “I don’t want people I don’t know around me. And I don’t want anybody doing anything for me because I don’t trust them.”

Ng said that, because of the financial losses he experienced, he had to withdraw his retirement funds to live. “Now I don’t have any retirement,” he said.

Pettis, visibly emotional, shared how deeply the ordeal upended her life. After selling her Groveland home and moving to Old Town, she lived in a recreational vehicle for three years while her dream barndominium remained unbuilt. She eventually redesigned the project, hired a different company, and has finally moved into her new home.

Charles Adolf shared with Riverbend News that, after losing $33,000 to Bullock, he was able to continue his project and retained a metal building company in Adel, Ga., which completed his barndominium at a lower cost and much faster than Apex promised. Adolf expressed his relief and commended the victims' resilience.

“The victims in this case stayed diligent from the beginning, even when a plea deal was offered that we felt did not reflect the seriousness of the harm that was done,” he said. “By standing together and pushing back, we ensured this case went to trial so the full truth could be heard.”

Adolf also hopes the upcoming sentencing hearing sends a message that organized fraud will not go unchecked and that victims' voices matter.

Riverbend News will cover the sentencing hearing on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at the Suwannee County Courthouse. A time for the hearing has yet to be determined. Victims will have an opportunity to deliver an impact statement to Bullock before he is sentenced.

Kelley stated that the state would be better able to comment after the sentencing hearing and declined to provide further comments for the story.