TULSA, Okla. — After a FOX23 investigation first aired in December, more homeowners are coming forward with complaints about Tulsa pool contractor Midwest Pools and its owner, Jeff Johnson.
Customers say they paid thousands of dollars for swimming pools that were never completed, in some cases, never even started.
Melinda Mavers told FOX23 she hired Johnson and Midwest Pools to install a new pool. She said her yard was torn up and the pool was built incorrectly, calling the experience a “complete nightmare.”
Debbie Adkins said she paid $46,000 and was left with what she described as a large hole in her backyard.
“He never came back,” Adkins said. “Nothing.”
FOX23 has received numerous photos from viewers showing unfinished pools and excavation sites left incomplete.
As FOX23 investigative reporter Janna Clark dug deeper, she noticed many customers financed their pools through the same lender, True Sky Federal Credit Union.
Susan Sloan said Midwest Pools came highly recommended. She described Johnson as likable and knowledgeable when they first met in early 2024.
When Sloan discussed financing, she said Johnson suggested True Sky and told her he had worked with the credit union for about a decade. Sloan said she was told loan payments would be distributed in phases as work progressed.
Her contract with Midwest Pools outlined five payments tied to specific stages of construction. Her $49,500 loan agreement with True Sky, however, does not specify how funds would be disbursed.
Sloan said her loan officer also told her the money would be released in installments.
But more than a year after signing her contract in March 2024, Sloan said little to no work had been completed. When she contacted the credit union in April 2025, she said she was told the entire loan amount had already been paid to Midwest Pools.
“That’s not what I agreed to,” Sloan said. She described feeling panicked and baffled.
Sloan said she repeatedly contacted Johnson for updates. Some work was eventually done, but she said it took months.
After FOX23’s initial report aired, Sloan said she realized she was not alone.
True Sky emailed FOX23 a statement saying:
“True Sky is aware of the allegations against Midwest Pools, and True Sky has been and will continue to be responsive to any members who have been affected. However, True Sky is subject to both federal and state laws regarding when and how it may disclose or discuss the private financial information of its members, and so True Sky is unable to answer any of Ms. Clark’s questions.”
Sloan and her husband filed a complaint with the National Credit Union Administration, which regulates and supervises federal credit unions. They received a letter stating the matter did not involve a federal consumer financial protection issue and that the agency had closed its file.
FOX23 confirmed the NCUA is the primary federal regulator overseeing credit unions like True Sky. In response to questions about the credit union, the agency said it could not disclose information about specific institutions.
Sloan said she worries customers will still be responsible for repaying loans for pools that were never completed.
“It’s a financial institution. How do they not know where their money’s going?” she said.
Last month, Sloan and her husband hired a different pool company to restart the project. Workers recently began installing rebar in their backyard. She said it is difficult to pay for the same project twice.
“I feel stupid,” Sloan said. “But we did our due diligence. We just got hoodwinked.”
FOX23 reached out to Johnson about the complaints and his relationship with True Sky, but did not receive a response. In December, he told FOX23, “No comment at this time.”
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office confirmed it is investigating Midwest Pools. Sloan said she expects to be interviewed along with dozens of other customers.
Customers have also told FOX23 that Johnson has claimed he filed for bankruptcy. However, FOX23 has not found any evidence to support that claim.
Court records show the number of lawsuits filed against Johnson and Midwest Pools continues to grow, with several new cases filed this year.