‘Below Deck’ Captain Sandy says she and wife lost ‘all of our money’ in alleged $1.6M contractor scam
‘Below Deck’ Captain Sandy says she and wife lost ‘all of our money’ in alleged $1.6M contractor scam
“Below Deck” star Captain Sandy Yawn and wife Leah Shafer spoke out about their ongoing legal battle against their former contractor, Spencer Calvert.
Yawn revealed how much money they lost in the alleged scam in an interview with Fox News Digital, alongside Shafer and friend Randi Gold.
“All of our money. Gone. Emotionally, we were wrecked,” Yawn said.
“But here’s the deal: like, I love God, Leah loves God — we love God. So we knew that we were going to get through this because, no matter what, as long as you do the next right thing and just show up in life and show others by your example how you walk through things, then that’s what it’s about, right?” Yawn added.
Captain Sandy Yawn speaks out on the alleged contractor scam. (Jeff Daly/Bravo via Getty Images)
In 2020, they hired Calvert to build their $1.6 million Jacksonville, Florida, home along with 12 other families, but instead he allegedly pocketed the money.
Of the 33 homes he took on, he allegedly only completed 18, per the New York Post.
He allegedly defrauded them out of about $18 million, according to the St. Johns Citizen, leaving their dream homes unfinished.
Calvert was charged with grand theft, misapplication of construction funds and organized scheme to defraud, according to TMZ.
Sandy Yawn and Leah Shafer on the red carpet in London on Oct. 26, 2024. (Mike Marsland/Getty Images for Hayu)
In February, Calvert entered a guilty plea and accepted the state’s deal of five years in prison, $150,000 to each victim upfront, $1.47 million in restitution to the victims, and 20 years of probation, according to First Coast News.
Yawn and the other victims appeared in a courtroom in St. Johns County, Florida, to challenge the plea deal their former contractor tried to take.
Yawn and the victims testified against him, pushing for 10 years behind bars.
The plea deal was revised by the state after the victims’ statements, asking for a $650,000 payment upfront and 10 years in prison, which Calvert and his team rejected — with a pretrial hearing scheduled next month.
Fox News Digital reached out to Calvert’s attorney, Mitchell A. Stone, for comment.
In 2024, Stone gave a statement to Entertainment Weekly: “Although I cannot comment on the evidence at this time, our investigation has revealed that my client was a respected home builder and businessman for many years. As in all businesses, market conditions sometimes create unexpected challenges. Supply chain and work force issues can impact construction costs which in turn can cause a ripple effect on the home building industry resulting in financial loss.”
Stone noted that “regardless of any explanation, we are committed to trying to resolve those problems favorably,” adding, “my client never intended any person or business to suffer any loss.”
VIDEO: CAPTAIN SANDY AND LEAH SHAFER SHARE UPDATES ON COURT CASE FOR ALLEGED CONTRACTOR SCAM
On why they went to the courtroom and took a stand, Shafer said that they “just had enough.”
“A circle talking, false promises, and it was just time to stand up for ourselves,” Shafer added.
“Also, the community kept reaching out to the local government and no one was responding. And sometimes it takes people who are on TV to get things done because you get the press — which is really not… it shouldn’t work like that. Every voice should matter, especially when you’re being robbed,” Yawn said.
Captain Sandy Yawn holding hands with wife Leah Shafer. (Fred Jagueneau/Bravo via Getty Images)
They realized something was going on with their home after Yawn’s sister called her.
Yawn and Shafer were in Colorado at the time, so they were not in Florida to keep tabs on the construction project.
“My sister called me and said something’s going on because your house… nothing’s happening,” Yawn explained, with Shafer adding: “It’s at a standstill. There’s like weeds growing, the tiles weren’t on. It was two years later.”
VIDEO: CAPTAIN SANDY AND LEAH SHAFER ON HOW MUCH THE ALLEGED CONTRACTOR SCAM COST THEM
Shafer said when they realized they were allegedly being defrauded by Calvert, she “cried,” noting that she “couldn’t believe it.”
“I think we both cried. And then you feel betrayal. And when you have emptied your bank account already – we started calling our friends trying to borrow money to finish our house. Yeah, because we spent all our money on our house,” Yawn said.
Shafer also revealed that she got her contractor permits afterward in order to complete their home, and also formed relationships with people in St. Johns County.
“I just went through the list of what you do. Oh, electric? Oh, plumbing? And it’s impressive when you pay people, they show up! Go figure. So we finished our house little by little, and we’re still trying to finish it,” Shafer said.
Captain Sandy Yawn stars on “Below Deck Mediterranean.” (Nicole Weingart/Bravo via Getty Images)
Yawn and Shafer tied the knot in May 2024.
Shafer said life changed “for the better” post marriage, calling it “wonderful” and is “happier than ever.”
Yawn said they “learned communication.”
“When you’re in a relationship, you have to learn how to communicate with kindness because you never want to hurt anyone,” Yawn said.
Yawn has been the captain in “Below Deck Mediterranean” since season two. The tenth season premiered in fall 2025.
The show premiered in 2016 on Bravo as a spinoff of the show “Below Deck.”
The series follows the crew as they live and work on a superyacht, in different areas around the Mediterranean in Europe each season.
VIDEO: CAPTAIN SANDY AND LEAH SHAFER SHARE MESSAGE ABOUT THE ALLEGED CONTRACTOR SCAM
Past locations include: Greece, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain and Malta.
Yawn replaced Captain Mark Howard, who appeared in season one.
On how much longer she sees herself captaining superyachts, Yawn said: “You know, no, it’s not because I love boating. You know what I love about ‘Below Deck Mediterranean?’ I get to drive a different boat every year.”
Adding: “That is the coolest part. Because when you’re a captain you work for one guy on one boat. So I get to drive different boats with different problems, so my problem-solving skills become sharper, especially when it comes to docking.”
Sarah Sotoodeh is an associate entertainment editor for Fox News Digital.
