TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Interim BayWalk Manager Arrested

ADVERTISEMENT

TBO.com

Published: January 15, 2009

Howard Rosenthal

The interim manager of the BayWalk shopping and entertainment complex in St. Petersburg was arrested today, accused of taking more than $170,000 from a real estate company where he used to work.

Howard Rosenthal, 53, of 527 Harbor Groves Circle, Safety Harbor, was charged with one count of felony grand theft. He took over as BayWalk interim manager this week; none of the charges are connected to his work at BayWalk.

Rosenthal is accused of taking $170,809.73 from Colliers Arnold Real Estate in Clearwater, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said. He worked at the company from June 2003 until August 2008.

He resigned after company executives asked him to provide information on invoices and receipts, detectives say. When Rosenthal turned in his laptop computer, technicians found all company-related information had been removed, investigators say.

Detectives began investigating Rosenthal in September, after an employee of the real estate firm called the sheriff's office and reported possible embezzlement, sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha said in a written statement.

A warrant was issued for Rosenthal's arrest on Wednesday and he turned himself in at Pinellas County Jail this afternoon, Pasha said.

He posted $50,000 bail and has since been released from jail.

Rosenthal, who was in charge of managing the company's Florida properties and purchasing advertising, is accused of the following, according to detectives:

• Dummy invoices or double-billed reimbursements totaling $145,229.


• Double-billing air travel at a cost of $10,269.


• Using $3,000 in airfare while traveling with his wife.


• Billings on several hotel stays that were submitted more than once, totaling $5,023.81.


• Statements or invoices of country club dues that could not be verified, totaling $1,030.98.


• Buying $679.46 in in-room movies during hotel stays.


• Company cellular phone bills, which included family members, totaling $977.48.

BayWalk was envisioned as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment in St. Petersburg when it opened in 2000.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT