James "Caz" Bzdek, the man behind Dueling Pianos Road Show, has been a well-known figure on the entertainment scene in Denver and the region for years.
Now, however, he's getting the kind of publicity that can hardly be termed good for business.
He and an associate, Bethany Concha, have been indicted by the Denver District Attorney's Office.
The charges against him include theft, fraud and more in relation to accusations that he used credit card and banking information from clients to steal more than $200,000
The Dueling Pianos Road Show website, which remains online at this writing, describes itself like so:
The best entertainers, all-inclusive sound and lighting, and the freshest, most innovative concepts make The Dueling Pianos Road Show the perfect choice for your corporate event or company celebration. Offering everything from interactive Dueling Pianos to the industry-exclusive Four Grands Eight Hands Show, the experiences are unmatched in the entertainment industry.There are also YouTube videos aplenty featuring Bzdek and his show.
Here's a pitch from 2009....
...as well as a clip featuring former Denver Nugget Chris "Birdman" Andersen:
The audiences in these clips certainly seem to be enjoying themselves,
However, the DA's office believes Bzdek didn't always leave his customers smiling.
The indictment, on view below in its entirety, features a staggering 122 counts.
But count twelve gives a sense of the offenses Bzdek is facing.
The document states that the 4 Grands 8 Hands show contracted with the Gothenburg Memorial Hospital in Gothenburg, Nebraska, for a December 2012 appearance.
As part of the agreement, the hospital provided its corporate VISA debit card information — and prosecutors believe it got plenty of use.
Between November 26, 2012, and January 3, 2013, the indictment maintains, Bzdek processed at least twelve unauthorized charges on the card, adding up to $32,500.
When questioned about the charges, an accounting firm associated with Bzdek maintained that they were the result of a "system glitch," the indictment states. But an investigation showed that all of the charges had been manually entered.
Such allegations have led Bzdek to be charged with violation the Colorado Crime Control Act, as well as money laundering, ten counts apiece of identity theft and credit card fraud, eighteen counts of theft, and an incredible eighty counts of forgery.
Concha, for her part, is facing accusations of fraud by check and conspiracy.
Both Bzdek and Concha are free on bond at this writing — but because Bzdek is currently on probation for an earlier theft case, he's prohibited from opening bank accounts or entering into financial contracts.
Look below to see mug shots for Bzdek and Concha, followed by the indictment.
