Jason Futch
Reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
A former business owner accused of stealing thousands of dollars from more than 30 individuals and businesses is scheduled for a change of plea hearing on Monday, Sept. 8. Circuit Judge Katie Land will preside over the hearing, which follows a years-long investigation into alleged organized fraud that led to the 2023 arrest of Jason Andrew Bullock, owner of Apex Metal Building Systems. However, victims who have come forward are sharing their concerns about the agreement.
According to Charles Adolf, one of the victims, the plea deal being proposed to Bullock by Assistant State Attorney Colin Klein would consist of 30 years of probation, a down payment of $10,000 towards his restitution to be split among all victims, and $1,500 in monthly restitution. There are no stipulations requiring Bullock to no longer own or operate a business.
“Klein, on behalf of the State of Florida, will be offering Mr. Bullock a plea agreement with sanctions far less than what he would otherwise ‘score’ using the standardized Florida Department of Corrections Scoresheet,” Adolf, a law enforcement officer, said. “Based on Mr. Bullock’s history and the severity of these charges, he would be eligible for up to 85.5 years in prison.” Adolf believes the plea is lenient. “Victims argue that these failures not only compromise the integrity of the prosecution, but effectively deny them justice — enabling a repeat offender to escape prison time while victims absorb the financial and emotional toll,” he said.
Both the State Attorney’s Office for the Third Judicial Circuit and Bullock’s legal representation were contacted by Riverbend News regarding the case, with both refusing to comment on the record. However, Bullock’s lawyer, Lucas Taylor, said he would be willing to discuss the case further as soon as it has concluded.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Live Oak Police Department, 31 victims, including local businesses, were listed as being affected by Bullock’s alleged practices. In total, the losses of the victims who came forward during the investigation was $671,043. Most of the victims lodged complaints regarding incomplete structures, Bullock’s alleged refusal to return phone calls and emails, and issues related to refunds.
During the investigation, it was revealed Bullock had spent the money collected from the victims on thousands of dollars' worth of transactions, including DoorDash, Hulu and Instacart. There were also 32 payments toward Melody Christian Academy for a total of $17,000. It was also concluded in the probable cause affidavit that, upon collecting down payments from victims, Bullock would also use the money to pay off past debts instead of it going toward the projects Apex Metal Building Systems was hired to put together.
By the time Bullock was charged with organized fraud, some of the victims had already sold their homes and were experiencing setbacks. For Tracy Arico, a mother of four children, this meant living in a motorhome for one year and seven months while trying to recover the $42,390 she was defrauded of. Two weeks before her metal building was set to be finished, Bullock declared bankruptcy.
“I just want to see some justice,” Arico said. “To offer [the plea deal] to people in their 60s and 70s is offensive.” She also said social media postings by Bullock appear to show him and his family continuing to live an expensive lifestyle, rubbing salt in her emotional wounds, which also made her question how, despite allegedly defrauding the victims of $671,000, he could afford such a life.
Adolf claimed Bullock defrauded him of $33,000 after ordering a metal building through Apex Metal Building Systems in 2022. He states neither Bullock or anyone with Apex Metal Building Systems returned phone calls or provided updates as to when his metal building would be finished. When Adolf had enough, he reached out to Bullock, only to be told to contact his attorney. Bullock’s attorney at the time, Anthony Chauncey of the Chauncey Law Firm, said he would be ready to defend any civil theft claims. According to Adolf, he never received a refund for services expected of the company.
Another victim, Richard Ng, who lives near Jacksonville, was allegedly defrauded of $34,300 after ordering a building kit from Apex Metal Building Systems. According to Ng, he was connected to the company by his contractor. After placing his deposit for the kit, he claims he never heard back from Apex Metal Building Systems, and projects would continue to be pushed back because the company would place the blame on COVID-19. Eventually, the company declared bankruptcy. “I never even got to talk to Jason,” Ng said.
Ultimately, Ng said the fraud resulted in a drastic home life situation, forcing him and his wife to live with his in-laws for over three years and commute to Orlando for work. “We’re blessed. We made it through. But I’ve seen my wife cry quite a few times over it, and I’m not happy about it,” he said. Speaking on the proposed plea deal being presented to Bullock, Ng said the agreement would only encourage scammers instead of deterring them. “If another scammer is seeing this, they will think, ‘Hey, if I get a chance to scam somebody out of millions of dollars, I’ll pay $1,500 a month. I’ll take the deal,’” he said.
Cynthia Pettis was defrauded of $50,335 after selling her home and moving to Old Town, Fla., where her metal building was to be built on a piece of property she purchased. While her contact with Bullock was brief, she worked with an employee at Apex Metal Buildings for over a year before being told the company was going bankrupt. “I gave [Bullock] $7,500 more to extend the building, and right after, I was told he filed for bankruptcy,” Pettis said. “He took my money with intent.” The result for Pettis was living in a camper for three years while she figured out how to recover from the victimization she faced. In the last month, she was able to finally move into a new home.
Sherry Peppers, owner of Bright Stars Academy in Live Oak, said she never received the building she purchased and now fears she has lost the $31,272 she paid Apex Metal Buildings. The school had planned to use the structure to expand its preschool. “There were no ifs, ands or buts,” Peppers said. “After speaking with the Live Oak Police Department, I wanted to press charges. Losing $32,000 in a small business is a major deal, and for somebody who knew they were going to take the money, it’s unforgivable.”
Peppers added that she was dissatisfied with the plea agreement, believing it let Bullock off too easily. “We all deserve our money back if [Bullock] is going to get nothing out of this,” she said.
Adolf believes the deal is not going to make him or any of the victims whole, as some of them have expressed the likelihood of not living to see the entire amount repaid.
“I don’t expect to be alive in the next 30 years,” Ng said.
For Arico, she said more needs to be done to ensure Bullock no longer lives comfortably. “I don’t care if he’s sleeping in a cardboard box,” she said.
Since Bullock’s arrest, Adolf has been working with some of the other victims to ensure the case receives attention, as there were many victims and not enough focus throughout the years. The group of victims has formed a common bond, meeting under unfortunate circumstances, but ultimately making sure no one goes through what they have been dealing with. They stay in communication with each other via text and remain up to date on the movement of the case.
If Bullock accepts the plea agreement, he will be required to follow the terms of his probation to the letter. If he fails to do so, he will violate his probation and may face prison time. The victims are also considering the option of seeking punitive damages through a civil lawsuit to try to recoup the money they lost should the case conclude on Sept. 8.