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Official Embezzled $1 Million From DigiQuest, Police Say

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By JEFF PATTERSON and VALERIE KALFRIN

News Channel 8 The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 24, 2008

TAMPA - A Land O' Lakes man is accused of embezzling nearly $1 million from DigiQuest Technologies, where he worked as chief operating officer, Tampa police said.

Patrick H. Dean, 44, delayed paying vendors by saying his father and his son had died, though they were both alive, according to DigiQuest's owner, Thomas Bean.

When Dean, who was in charge of DigiQuest's billing and collections, fell behind at work, he said he had cancer, Bean said. "We had employees that shaved their heads in support of him. It was just a story to buy more time," Bean said.

Dean surrendered to Tampa police about 4 p.m. Thursday on several charges of grand theft, scheming to defraud and making false entries in corporate books. He was released from a Hillsborough County jail after posting $77,000 bail, records show.

An attempt to reach him Friday was unsuccessful.

Police said Dean worked for DigiQuest from 2004 until December, when he was fired and Bean filed a complaint about him with police.

Detective Kevin Durkin said the embezzlement began in January 2006. Dean and his wife, Carmen, co-founded a company through which they funneled equipment and money from DigiQuest, Durkin said.

Durkin would not say whether Carmen Dean also faces criminal charges. He said the investigation is continuing.

Bean shared with a reporter copies of Dean's e-mails that were provided to police. In one message, Dean purports to own DigiQuest as well as the Howard Stern Radio Network and Bubba Radio Network, which oversees the radio show of shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.

Bean owns these companies. "I've represented Bubba since the mid-'90s," he said.

Dean would create invoices for sales to nonexistent companies, Bean said. He also would order equipment from vendors through DigiQuest, ship equipment to buyers and collect payment without reimbursing the vendors, Dean said.

Bean said he learned of the problems after one vendor contacted him directly and sent him invoices for the money owed.
News Channel 8 reporter Jeff Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@wfla.com or (813) 221-5703. Reporter Valerie

Kalfrin can be reached at

vkalfrin@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7800.

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