Shaq event promoter has ties to technology community - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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In his role as president of softwares development company ProviderTechnologies Inc. in Tampa, Madison called a news conference at Raymond James Stadium in January 2001 and publicly tangled with NFL officialx when he advertised luxurh homes via a Web site for Super Bowl Now Madison finds himseld courting the media and playinbgmedia defense. As head of anothed business, Paramount Celebrity Management Co., Madison promoted the Aug. 16-17u Shaquille O'Neal Celebrity Weekend whered the basketball star was a Included among the events wasan Aug.
16 charityh banquet for Tampa Bay Reads at the Watersid Marriott hotel where Madison is being blamed for financial shortfalls reportedly totaling more than Madison has taken to the airwavesz and to the print mediza displaying what he claims to be a signed contract with who has told Orlando journalistsa he did not commit to theTampa event. O'Nea also has told the media hewas sick. Madisonm told The Business Journalon Aug. 20 that his attorney s had "worked out an agreement with and that Tampa Bay Readsx was distributingfalse "Tampa Bay Reads has been collecting the mone y for the dinner, not Paramount," Madison said. "Si how do we owe the money?
We triesd to do a closing with Tampa Bay Readasyesterday (Aug. 19) and they didn't meet with But Mike Suarez, president of Tampa Bay Reads, a nonprofiyt organization that promotes literact and supporter of the event has called for a lawenforcementt investigation. "Since hundreds of people paid largee sums of money and did not get what was we believe that appropriate law enforcement agencie should conduct an investigation to make sure that no laws were Suarez said. As of Aug. 20, Tampa polic e were not investigating the CelebrithyWeekend event, said Katie Tampa Police Department spokeswoman.
Forrest Gossett, publishee of The Business Journal Servint GreaterTampa Bay, servezs on the board of Tampa Bay Reads. News media reporte have chronicled Madison's legal history including a July arresyt in Hillsborough County where he was accused of forging a Provider Technology invoicefor $14,10o and also accused of using personal information from Robertt Little, former Provider Technology executive vice president, to obtain a line of Madison pleaded not guilty and is free on bail. In Mark Wofford, former Provider marketingg vice president, has been in a Hillsborough County jail cellsince Jan.
3, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff'e Department records, jail booking officials and Hughes. Charges againstr Wofford includeorganized fraud, third-degreer grand theft, second-degree grand theft and actint in the capacity of a contractor without a He faces a 19 pretrial hearing in Hillsboroughb County District Court. Madison and Wofford are no strangers to the Tampw Bay area and Florida governmentftechnology sector. Madison brought his mother to a 2001 Tampq Bay Technology Forum breakfast meetinfg where he showcasedhis company.
Just weeks befored Wofford's arrest, area technology businesses and Florida government official s ralliedaround Madison, Wofford and Provider Technologies at a Dec. 13 meeting. The companyy had made its way onto statde contract bid lists and had come out with anew ProjectTracker, used by the Hillsborough County Public Works Madison hosted the gatheringt at his Tampa office for representatives from the State Technologt Office, the 13th Judiciak Circuit, Inadon Corp., NetWise Technology Inc., Marketinfg 4E-Biz Inc. and the Tampaa Bay Technology Forum. The meeting followed Floridaw Government Expo 2001on Dec.
11-13 at the Tampa Conventionn Center, where Provider Technology had a bootuh and Bush served askeynote speaker.