NASHVILLE (AP) — The head of the now-defunct Sommet Group, which formerly held the naming rights to the Bridgestone Arena, has been found guilty of stealing from clients.
The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/1EeeJZx) a federal jury on Friday found Brian Whitfield guilty on 14 of 15 counts related to the $20 million scheme.
The Sommet Group handled payroll, benefits and other back-office functions for businesses.
An indictment accused Whitfield and his ex-wife of using company funds to pay for personal expenses including a $400,000 houseboat and a $152,000 pool. They were also accused of using $250,000 in client money to pay the Nashville Predators for the naming rights to the downtown arena where they play.
The indictment said the money was supposed to pay federal taxes, fund 401 K plans and pay medical and prescription drug benefits of employees who worked for Sommet Group's clients.
The Sommet name was taken off the arena after federal agents raided the company's Franklin offices in 2010.
Whitfield's ex-wife Marsha Whitfield had been the company's vice president of payroll. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire-fraud charges last year. Her father, Edwin Todd, who co-founded the Sommet Group with Brian Whitfield, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy.
Brian Whitfield had maintained his innocence. In testimony at trial he blamed his clients' losses on a series of bad business decisions and mismanagement by other executives.
The jury acquitted Whitfield on only one count — conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false tax returns.
"Obviously, we are disappointed with the jury's verdict," Whitfield's attorney, Peter Strianse, told the newspaper. "There was no evidence presented of any criminal conspiracy or agreement to defraud any client of Sommet or the IRS."
Whitfield is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 26.