PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Editor's Note: This exclusive story will run on First Coast News at 11 on Monday.
For the first time, we're seeing a prominent Jacksonville builder in handcuffs.
Reality TV star Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean on Bravo watched the video of Spencer Calvert's arrest for the first time when First Coast News showed it to her.
"Finally, justice!" she said. "He's destroyed our lives."
Does she want him to go to prison?
"For life, no. For ten years, I'd be happy with that."
Yawn is one of more than a dozen homeowners irate that they were left high and dry when their homes in Nocatee were not finished. When First Coast News talked with Captain Sandy early in 2024, her home was just a green shell and we sat on buckets to talk. When asked where her contractor was, she said, "I don't know. Nobody knows."
Yawn says she and her wife Leah Shafer paid Calvert and his Pineapple builder corporation $1.6 million, including upgrades, to build their home.
Now she says, "It's gone. And that's our life savings. We emptied out bank accounts and now we live paycheck to paycheck."
Yawn says the fiasco hit them hard. "We cried," she said.
Drywall, tile, toilets -- even the grass-- had to be purchased again. She says their bill to finish their home will be $800,000 on top of the $1.6 million.
"We had to buy everything twice," she said.
Yawn says people think she's super wealthy just because she's on TV. She says that's just not true in her case. She says they are saving up to finish their home, and that includes buying handles for the doors inside and a bed in the guest room.
Calvert's arrest was announced in a press conference from the State Attorney's Office in February 2024, but his arrest video is now public through a public records request from First Coast News.
Calvert is charged with misapplication of construction funds, an organized scheme to defraud and grand theft, all three felonies. According to the investigative report from the State Attorney's Office, Calvert's American Express accounts show payments of $730,000 for "restaurants, sporting events, furniture stores, plane charters, and liquor retailers." It includes $19,000 for Jaguars tickets.
"He was living the high life on us, " Yawn said. "That's our money."
Yawn has not hired an attorney, but Jacksonville attorney James Gonzales represents seven homeowners in civil litigation --not just against Calvert-- but also his wife. Keri Calvert is listed as a school nurse at Jacksonville Country Day School in Baymeadows on its website.
Gonzales says he's filed seven civil lawsuits against Keri Calvert for "fraudulent transfer." He says the money was transferred from Pineapple's bank accounts to Keri and Spencer Calvert's joint accounts.
"It was our clients' money, the homeowners' money, that was provided to Pineapple to build their houses and it was never used to build their houses," he said.
Gonzales says if his clients win their lawsuits it could mean "millions."
First Coast News reached out to Keri Calvert's school email. Attorney Mitchell Stone says he represents her husband and went on to say:
"I represent Spencer Calvert. I am responding to your questions concerning his wife, Keri Calvert. She has been named in certain lawsuits by the claimant's lawyers who are pursuing the civil cases against the Pineapple Corp. and Spencer Calvert personally. I am in charge of the legal defense of the criminal charges against Spencer Calvert. We are confident the evidence will demonstrate that he had all intentions of completing construction on all homes involved in this case. Unfortunately, the building construction market changed dramatically during the Covid pandemic resulting in unexpected challenges involving supplies and labor. Keri Calvert was not an owner, officer, shareholder, or employee of Pineapple Corp. the company that contracted with the homebuyers. It is our position that any claims made against Keri Calvert are not valid since she had no involvement in the company other than being the wife of the owner. There is no evidence we are aware of supporting any charges or claims against her. She prefers not to be interviewed. There are efforts in the works to try to secure funds for purposes of ensuring those who claim a loss can be reimbursed for any legitimate losses that resulted from the inability to complete the construction of their homes."
