He gets seven years for repeating in Pinellas what he did in Pasco - conning older clients wanting to dance.
By RICHARD RAEKE
Published June 8, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - When David B. "Vic" Andrews faced sentencing in 1995 for scamming more than $1-million from elderly clients at his Port Richey dance studio, he told the judge, "I'm willing to spend the rest of my life to contribute to this restitution."
Circuit Judge William Webb didn't buy it and sentenced Andrews to prison.
Andrews was released in 1998. Four years later, he was charged with violating the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act - for bilking elderly customers of the Dance Place studio in Safety Harbor.
Although the crimes took place in Pinellas County, he also faced charges for violating probation from his 1995 conviction in Pasco County.
On Monday, he reached a resolution to both issues, pleading guilty to grand theft charges in the Dance Place case.
Circuit Judge Michael Andrews, no relation to Vic Andrews, sentenced him to seven years in prison followed by five years of probation. Vic Andrews, who will turn 75 this month, will be 87 when he completes his sentence.
Victims say he used boiler-room sales tactics, preyed on their loneliness, and dug up painful memories in the course of shilling contracts for trips and dance lessons. One woman paid $247,000 for dance lessons, competitions and trips over the course of 18 days.
According to a Times story, 30 customers of the Dance Place signed 328 sales contracts totaling $3.5-million. After being charged in June 2002, Andrews evaded authorities for four months. He was arrested in September 2002 at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Port Richey while pumping gas into his Mercedes.
In 1992, prosecutors accused Andrews of conning dozens of senior citizens out of roughly $1-million at Aragon World Dance Studios in Port Richey. Andrews, who is often described as suave and charming, sold contracts for dance lessons and trips totaling tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"Quite frankly," Webb said, "I don't intend to be part of the scam, to hold out some hope of restitution as a means for avoiding paying the piper for your criminal acts."
Webb went above the sentencing guidelines, giving Andrews 15 years in prison.
An appeals court overturned that sentence in 1997. He was released from prison in 1998 on probation. But Andrews was not prohibited from working at dance studios under the terms of his 20-year probation, and he began working at the Dance Place in Safety Harbor as a consultant.
