TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — There’s more fallout after last week’s arrest of a pole barn contractor, first exposed by a Better Call Behnken investigation in spring 2022.
Zelora Vernon Hall, who owned Florida Pole Barn Kits, LLC with his wife, was arrested Nov. 13 by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and charged with 12 counts of grand theft.
Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken first started receiving calls from angry consumers in March 2022 after a growing number of people said the Hernando County-based pole barn supplier collected thousands of dollars in deposits for barns and provided nothing.
Florida Pole Barn Kits, LLC filed a voluntary dissolution of the company on Feb. 1, just weeks after signing contracts with some customers and accepting sizable deposits. At the time, the company phone number was not operable, and customers complained they had been cut off from communication.
The company was owned by Zelora Vernon Hall and his wife, Tonya Hall. The business was based in Hernando County, but customers ordered pole barns from all over the state.
On Nov.13, the day of Hall’s arrest, customers who lost money received an unusual email from Sergeant Lauren Johnson at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, explaining these charges only pertain to victims in Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Marion and Lake counties.
It goes on to say that’s because the statewide prosecutor’s office had the case since April 2022 and didn’t move forward, and that’s why it was recently referred to the local state attorney’s office before the statute of limitations could expire.
That left customers outside of that circuit, like Larissa Hicks in Hillsborough County, feeling left out.
Hours after Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken reached out to the Attorney General’s Office, which oversees the statewide prosecutor’s office, Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox sent this statement:
“We thank the State Attorney’s Office for moving forward with charges regarding their counties of jurisdiction. The Office of Statewide Prosecution continues to work on this case and intends to bring charges involving crimes in multiple jurisdictions.“
When asked about the more than two year delay and the Hernando sergeant’s concerns about the statute of limitations, Cox sent this statement:
“There are no issues concerning the statute of limitations which expires in 2027. Any other person who has been victimized and wishes to report it should contact the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office who is working with the Office of Statewide Prosecution on this matter.”
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis released this statement about the case:
“We know that both our local State Attorney, Bill Gladson, and Florida’s Attorney General, Ashley Moody, are equally passionate about holding lawbreakers accountable,” Nienhuis said. “We, therefore, look forward to working with both the State Attorney’s Office and the Office Statewide Prosecution as this case moves through the court system, in an effort to ensure that justice is obtained for all the victims in this case.”
Meanwhile, the eyebrow-raising email from the Hernando sergeant also made clear that their investigation continues into Vernon Hall’s now ex-wife, who was co-owner of the company, writing, “While Mr. Hall has been arrested, the investigation is ongoing, particularly regarding Tonya Hall’s involvement.”
Michael Petro, a criminal defense attorney representing Tonya Hall, said his client is innocent and is cooperating with the sheriff’s office and has offered to be interviewed for their case.
“Vernon is pretty much on his own for all of this,” Petro said. “He was promising things he couldn’t deliver and using new business to create old business. All the people who complained dealt with Vernon. She is only involved because she was on the LLC with her husband.”
