Jannus Landing owner charged with failing to pay $200,000 in sales tax

ST. PETERSBURG -- John C. Bodziak, the owner and president of Jannus Landing Courtyard, was arrested by state agents today on charges that he failed to pay $208,418 in sales tax from one of Tampa Bay's most popular concert venues.

According to the Florida Department of Revenue, Bodziak collected sales tax from patrons of Jannus Landing at 220 First Ave. N, but didn't send the state its share over various periods from June 2004 to July 2007. Investigators say Bodziak kept more than $200,000 meant for Florida's coffers.

Under Florida law, sales tax revenue is the property of the state as soon as the money changes hands.

Bodziak, 35, was arrested today by Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and was being held at the Pinellas County jail on $250,000 bail.

He was charged with first-degree grand theft. If convicted, Bodziak could get up to 30 years in prison and have to not only repay the state the missing $200,000 but cough up interest and penalties, reimburse the state for the cost of its investigation and pay a $10,000 fine.

Jannus Landing bills itself as "Florida's oldest and largest outdoor concert venue." The next concert is set for Monday by Matisyahu and Les Claypool.

"Individuals who collect tax but don't send it in are stealing from taxpayer dollars and gaining an unfair financial advantage over honest businesses," said Department of Revenue executive director Lisa Echeverri in a prepared statement.

Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer

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Comments

[Erin Martin]

Wow! Guess with the time frame we can't exactly blame the Bennett curse.

[CrowdSurf1]

No wonder beer was so expensive!

[kml]

Aha! First exploiting the street musicians, the patrons and now the state!

[ams]

What about all bad checks he wrote musicians & employees?! He had it coming to him!

[lanienus]

The Department of Revenue is rather picky about wanting people to turn in the tax money they collect. More poor judgment from our citizens.

[concertgoer]

This guy has done more for downtown St. pete than anyone. He has brought more business to support the entire music scene as well as nightlife in what used to be just a bum infested excuse for a downtown just 10 years ago.Why dont you talk about the $2,000,000.00 in taxes he did pay with all of his businesses downtown!!

[florida]

wow june 2004. I guess the state didnt need the maney that bad. 5 years to get your money

[karmapolice]

concertgoer, your opinions could not be more skewed or absurd. When you adopt an emotional investment in the integrity of our local music scene, his politics will sicken you. Until then, just stick to getting high with the guy.

[Demetrius]

I grew up in St.Pete, I went to show at Janice, I hung out at the Pier and Baywalk; I did it all. The most fun I ever had was at Janice Landing.. Jack took empty space and gerenrated enough revenue to hold the economy of downtown on its own. I remember a time when all we kids had was Jack and Janice Landing! So instead of watching this happen, we should be there for him. The way he was there for your children.

[tehsmartone]

Hey Demtrius- JANNUS was there waaaaaay before Jack bought it and screwed it up. We should be there for him>? Um- he stole money from YOU the concert go-er!

[stpt1734]

Jack has provided entertainment to all at Jannus Landing. We hope his problems will be resolved shortly, and he will be able to continue to contribute to the culture of the area.

[karmapolice]

Demetrius, the only thing different between the "old" Jannus and Jack's Jannus is the fact that local bands are no longer featured there. If you were "[doing] it all" back then, you would have been most aware of that, or even how to spell the name of the place you frequented so often, or read the article right above this, or.....

[insider]

Jack Bodziak has a very short history in downtown St. Pete. He never owned the State Thetare or Jannus, he was a leaseholder over the space,just a tenant, short term, to milk it for his advantage. He inherited the legacy of it all by claiming ownership to his "business" entities. His business stinks. All parties are hurt by this indignation. If you pay your bills you compete on equal footing, by not paying all the bills he skewed the system to his advantage. When are people going to wisen up.
The local media has given him more credence than they should have. Fire all the "writers" and find someone that will actually get the facts straight. Maybe some of the city council figures who have been buddies with him should have watched out where they tread. There are public records, you know?

[concertgoer]

Karmapolice, what have you done to help the St pete music scene or the economy in this city? How many times have you put your nuts on the line to open and run a business here? How many jobs have you created? He has not only adopted an emotional investment in the integrity of our local music scene, he has also adopted multiple financial investments. So why dont you take your wallet out and buy the landing and lets see how you do, or adopt a closed mouth policy. He was arrested NOT CONVICTED!

[karmapolice]

concertgoer, this is only seemingly foul and a shock to very few. The wool (or drugs) have been pulled over the eyes of only a few of you. The rest of us who HAVE "put [our] nuts on the line" for this music scene, contributing with every resource we had, are not only amused, but even a bit vindicated. Oh no!...what's he gonna do now...alienate us some more??? You're an ill-informed cheerleader.

[Michael]

Check Bodziak father out ex-con as a flim flam artist did Fed time. Also a Tony Amico associate. These guys are all scam artists. His father has broken many people.

[indo 09]

This man has brought many great shows to this town. One show brings many people to this area,many patrons to the surrounding bars, resturants,and or just local shops. This incident should not portray any "badmouthing" that will obviosly come his way. It's a shame, this day and age, it's guilty untill proven inocent, may justice prevail.

[Big C]

I suppose he thought the tax he already collected was his to keep.

[why]

Jack had a real opportunity to do the righ thing. He could have kept his 'nose' clean and he didnt, now a price has to be paid. I personally saw Jack get pulled into the 'nite life' and it swallowed him. Like father like son now sadly.

[tyrone green]

hello, people, wake up. this is not about the shows that have been brought to jannus landing and the cultural and economic significance of the music scene. this guy has not paid taxes for years. taxes! money that has been collected from you and me each time we pay for a ticket or buy a drink. it is OUR money, not his. what he does with his money and his life is his business. but when business owners fail to pay their taxes, there are consequences to be paid. All the posts defending his actions make me laugh. He is a business man, opening business and "putting their nuts on the line" are what business owners do for a living. Nobody ever says "tyrone, thanks for putting your nuts on the line when you were washing my car, cutting my grass" - or any of the other odd jobs I do just to make ends meet.

[shineyshawn]

Wake up???? Your kidding right. Your talking about how happy you are to pay taxes. Let's not forget who the real criminal is. Not only that, what about innocent until proven guilty. If any of you truly know Jack and have been to his house and seen his possesions, He doesn't even have a sports car. Tust me, the small amout of money they claim to be missing, isn't in jacks pocket!
Even if the state is missing money, I can promise you that they will only use to write more traffic tickets. We need to stand together and not let the State push him around.
Jack we will support you!

[AliceBlythe]

"Like Father,like son?"

You need to get your facts straight.

Jack hasn't been pocketing the 200 grand he paid to the state! Any of you who personally know anything about Jack, or the Bodziak family, will know they most certainly are not con artists! Leave Jack Bodziak Sr. out of this,he has had nothing to do with this, and the big scandal from over 20 years ago got him in trouble because of the people he was involved with,not him personally.Couplable neglegence isn't a good excuse,but that was truly what had gone on there!
Leave the family out of this.

Jack Jr. brought so much business downtown and recultured an area once filled with bums,for god's sake!He brought a big chunk of nightlife downtown,now one of Saint Petersburg's main attractions!Jannus is now one of Saint Pete's LANDMARKS,thanks to Jack!

Innocent until proven guilty,for those of you assinine morons going off of the Saint Petersburg Times...
He was arrested...do you see the words convicted anywhere up there?

Jack has nothing but my love and support.

[tyrone green]

yes, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. that much is true. and what is also true is that the state is accusing him of failing to pay sales tax. if it had been paid, then why would they be asking for it again?

yes, wake up. it would take me about 10 years to legitimately earn the amount of money he is accused of withholding. and yes, wake up, if you do not pay taxes in the united states of america, then you are committing a crime. it is part of the deal when you live here. and remember, this money is not money the accused earned and then the government is trying to take it away. no, it is our money. my money, your money, and anyone else's money who has gone down to jannus landing in the last few years and paid for a ticket or a drink. that was money that we all paid in sales tax.
just because someone is a cool guy who does cool things, that does not make them above the law.
and for all those singing the blues, remember that there were concerts going on at jannus landing long before the accused ever booked his first concert (try doing a little research like i did. google is a wonderful thing. http://www.reaxmusic.com/articles/view/community_profile_jack_bodziak-288) and i am sure that there will be concerts downtown long after this dust has settled. and if you think the accused is responsible for cleaning up an area infested with bums, i suggest you go back down there because there are plenty of bums still around.
i am sorry to see bad things happen to people and i like going to concerts at jannus landing, but at the same time, i pay sales tax to to the state with each purchase i make, not to line the pockets of the business owner.

[tyrone green]

shineyshawn let me respond that i never said that i was happy to pay taxes. i am saying that i pay taxes and i expect that money to go to the appropriate governmental body, not the bank account of the business owner.
and please tell me, who is the real criminal? are you suggesting that is the government? because if you are, please remember that when you open a business and sign that dotted line saying that you will collect sales tax, then you are expect to return that money collected in sales tax to the state.
are you suggesting that it took the current ownership to bring culture to st. petersburg? the accused is not the first person to bring live music to jannus landing and i think that the dali, international, holocaust, and fine arts museums would like some credit for the culture they have continually brought to the area.
no, i have never been to his house nor do i care if the accused has a sports car. heavens, should we consider everyone in a corvette to be a felon?
200,000 dollars is a small amount of money? wow. sorry did not realize that nearly a quarter of a million dollars was considered spare change. i did not mean to offend you sensibilities.
and yes, wake up. the state is made up of the citizens and they are collecting the sales tax (money that we citizens have paid to a business) which is to be used to the benefit of the citizens as a whole. you do pay sales tax when you buy stuff, don't you? ok, when you go pay an extra 7% on that video game at best buy - you expect best buy to turn over that 7% to The Man.
i can not rally behind someone who is cheating my grandchildren out of money that could be used toward their education. if they happen to get a ticket for speeding, i would not blame them, not the accused or the officer doing their job.

[AliceBlythe]

Excuse my typo,Mister Green,I meant, "Money he did not pay,supposedly,he certainly did not pocket."

-I firmly believe this was an error due to the lack of good bookkeeping and money management...nothing intentional.That's the largest point here that I can make,right there.-

However,Tyrone,I will point out that while Jack jr. did not start off the concerts at Jannus, he was the one to make it big. Did you not know HE was dubbed the "Jew of 2nd Street",and known, even as the Times stated, "One of the busiest proprietors downtown"? HE'S a major reason Jannus is booming now,there's no denying that.

And as for bums, I am not saying there are not any down there anymore... but there's been significant reduction in that particular area of town. Go ahead and look that fact up on your grand google.

As for ''doing a little research",I'd watch out who you're directing that comment to.

You never know if (especially over the internet),say,you were dealing with someone who may happen to be directly affected by this situation,who happens to know a bit more about it than you.

If you think you could have done,or could do any better with a task as big as Jannus landing,I warmly invite you to open up your checkbook,purchase Jannus Landing,and go ahead and try.

Jack Junior is a good guy,and wouldn't ever intentionally cheat anyone or the state out of their money.

And again,he has nothing but my support and love.

[orangeblossomspecial]

I'd have to agree that there are a few ill-informed cheerleaders on here. But, ignorance is bliss. Here's some insight: JANNUS LANDING WAS MUCH MORE OF AN INSTITUTION BEFORE JACK GOT HIS PROFIT-STARVED PAWS ON IT. If you had a knowledge or experience of nostalgia or music history in St. Pete, you would know that. It is by NO MEANS bigger now, in fact, it is considerably less important. "A Good guy"??? You 've obviously never worked for him in said market. And even by your dreamy assessment that he'd never "intentionally" cheat: HE DID CHEAT. So either way, he's a dunce. Nobody wants to see their drug buddy go down...you never know who happens to know a bit more about it than you.

[insider]

The time frame for the State's charges arise from the fact they attempted to deal with this for years and he abused the system. $220,000 reflects just the tax that went unpaid to the state. The bigger figure would be how much revenue was unreported that it represents, over $3MILLION! That must not have been reported anywhere.

Jannus Landing is owned by Tony Amico and the whole block is almost all his. Bodziak rented space after the old owners sold it, remember Jannus has had shows since the early 80's. Bodziak is not reponsible for all shows performing there. Outside promoters are almost 50% of the shows on site with no help from Bodziak. Bodziak gets all the credit for a lot of other peoples work.

He stepped into a goldmine and pillaged it for what he could get out of it.