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Designer charged with fraud
Mark Schwartz is charged with depositing Mark & Steven money into his personal bank account.
By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published April 19, 2005
TAMPA - His boots, lace-up mules and camel pumps were among Oprah Winfrey's favorites.
Fashion magazines worldwide touted the designer stilettos of Davis Islands resident Mark Schwartz.
But now Schwartz stands accused of stealing more than $40,000 from Mark & Steven, a company he founded with Tampa foot surgeons Steven Blustein and Seth Okun, Tampa police said.
That amount is expected to climb as the investigation continues, said Joe Durkin, spokesman for the Tampa Police Department.
Schwartz, 46, has been charged with organized fraud and grand theft. He is accused of depositing revenue into his personal account, rather than the business account, prompting business partners to call police, Durkin said.
According to reports, Schwartz was arrested at his home April 8. He posted $15,000 bail the next day and was released.
However, while out on bail, Schwartz contacted several retailers and distributors and told them to send money to his personal account, Durkin said, noting that in one instance, Schwartz provided his home address.
On learning that, detectives arrested Schwartz again Friday, reports show. An additional grand theft charge was added. He is currently in jail without bail.
"This is just the surface," Durkin said.
Schwartz has been creating shoes for 20 years, according to his Web site. His shoes retail for hundreds of dollars.
Blustein, a podiatrist for more than 20 years, approached Schwartz about designing shoes. They started their business in 2003, with Blustein and Okun investing a substantial amount of startup money, Durkin said.
According to the Mark & Steven Web site, the company creates stylish yet comfortable shoes made by hand-picked craftspeople from Italy.
Blustein declined to comment Monday, and Schwartz's wife, Elise, hung up the telephone.
[Last modified April 19, 2005, 01:19:14]
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