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Dance studio ex-manager pleads guilty

Facing trial on charges alleging that he fleeced clients of a Safety Harbor dance studio, the 75-year-old man avoids a trial.

By ROBERT FARLEY
Published May 4, 2005

LARGO - On the eve of his racketeering trial on charges of fleecing elderly customers at a Safety Harbor dance studio, David B. "Vic" Andrews pleaded guilty Monday morning in exchange for his sentence being capped at a maximum of 10 years in jail.

Andrews of Spring Hill will not be sentenced until after the September trial of co-defendant Michael Pasquarelli, owner of the Dance Place studio. And Judge Philip A. Federico made it clear the length of Andrews' sentence - between 64 months and 10 years - will depend in part on his cooperation with prosecutors in the Pasquarelli case.

Andrews has been in jail since September 2002, when he was apprehended at a Port Richey gas station by a dogged investigator with the State Attorney's Office.

The case against Andrews, who was the general manager of the studio, and Pasquarelli was triggered by a St. Petersburg Times story in January 2002 that highlighted a Palm Harbor widow who claimed she was pressured into spending $257,000 at Dance Place over three weeks in late 2001.

Investigators reviewed the files belonging to 30 students at Pasquarelli's studios in Safety Harbor, Clearwater and Oldsmar and charged the two men under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. The criminal charges allege they fleeced 11 clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Andrews was convicted in 1995 of preying on elderly dance club patrons at Aragon World Dance Studio in Port Richey. He served several years in prison and was on probation when he was arrested for the charges related to Dance Place. Prosecutors planned to use that information against him in the trial this week.

"You've got to understand, he (Andrews) was hired to make sure mistakes made in Pasco weren't made here (in Safety Harbor), and he wasn't always listened to," said Andrews' attorney John Swisher. "He didn't get out of the situation fast enough."

If convicted at trial, Andrews would have faced up to 30 years in prison.

"He obviously didn't want to die in prison," Swisher said, noting that Andrews will be 76 next month.

Swisher said he was preparing for trial when he got a message from one of Andrews' friends on Monday morning saying that Andrews wanted to plead. Andrews, an ordained minister with the Church of God, told Swisher he had prayed about it over the weekend and made the decision.

"He takes some responsibility," Swisher said. "He was there and he saw some things happening. He saw other people doing things he knew they shouldn't be doing. He didn't steer them away from that."

"I think he's certainly remorseful for the people," Swisher said. "I think he'd tell you dancing changed his life, gave him confidence. He hates to see this happen to the dance industry. It puts a bad name on it in general."

Swisher said it is unlikely Andrews will ever repay the students.

"The money these people spent is overwhelming,' Swisher said.

Two weeks ago, the cases against Andrews and Pasquarelli were separated because prosecutors planned to introduce evidence from Andrews' past Pasco dance studio case into the current case.

Assistant State Attorney Evan Brodsky said he was fully prepared to begin trial against Andrews.

Brodsky said he would withhold comment about the case until after the Pasquarelli trial, and he also declined to say whether Andrews will be asked to testify.

"I can't answer that for you," Brodsky said. "There is a possibility of him speaking with us."

One of Pasquarelli's attorneys, Bjorn Brunvand, said he was "shocked and surprised" that Andrews pleaded guilty.

"I don't think a crime has occurred," he said.

"I understand he (Andrews) is getting old, and any time you go to trial, there's risk involved," Brunvand said. "But I don't think either one of them has committed a crime. We're looking forward to trial in September."

[Last modified May 4, 2005, 18:01:02]