NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A mid-state pool contractor was booked into the Lawrence County Jail on Thursday after being accused of ripping off his customers. WSMV 4 Investigates learned he is now facing felony theft charges in multiple counties.
It is a story we have been following since July of 2023. When we first introduced you to Gene Hynok, he had given his life savings to Westco LLC to install a pool but said the company never came back to finish it.
“They have taken a year away from our lives that we could have been with our grandchildren making memories,” Hynok said in July.
Now, the contractor, Randy Westerbeck, has been arrested on felony theft charges in both Maury and Wayne Counties. He is also facing charges in Lawrence County.
“I always pride myself with being a big man, but I am not going to lie to you, I teared up a little bit,” Hynok said this week.
Hynok claims he has now talked to 40 other alleged victims of Westerbeck and more charges could be filed as the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office investigates as well as TBI.
“There are consequences with any choice you make in life, good or bad,” Hynok said.
Westerbeck would not talk to us following his recent arrests, but he did sit down with us back in July. He claimed the money people paid him was not enough to sustain his business. Westerbeck ultimately filed for bankruptcy.
“I hate it for the whole situation,” Westerbeck said in July 2023. “It is not a good situation.”
While Hynok is not hopeful he will ever get his money back, he said Westerbeck’s arrests give families a sense of closure.
“The people saw,” Hynok said. “The justice system saw, so they are going to take action.”
The Lawrence County Jail told WSMV 4 Investigates that Westerbeck is currently being held on a $20,000 bond. He is expected in a Maury County court in two weeks, and his next court date in Wayne County will be in May.
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