Boulder Reporting Lab investigation into the collapse of Frequency Dance, which documented unpaid bills, fraud allegations and complaints from parents who said they were billed for services and competitions that never occurred.
Prosecutors also appear to link the charges to a reported break-in at the South Boulder studio in July 2023.
footage from July 28, 2023, appeared to show two people entering the studio. The next morning, Burdine told police that spray paint covered nearly every surface, furniture had been destroyed, and large mirrors were shattered.
Boulder police issued a press release at the time describing a “dance studio burglary” and vandalism possibly by male teenagers. Local news outlets quickly disseminated the story. Burdine later told Boulder Reporting Lab she filed an insurance claim.
“Absolutely, we did,” she said. “It was quite extensive, unfortunately.”
“We did…
This category refers to crimes committed by employees or insiders against their own organizations. It is often the most damaging because the perpetrator has authorized access to systems.
- Asset Misappropriation: The most common form, involving the theft of company resources. This ranges from simple “skimming” (taking cash before it’s recorded) to complex schemes involving the theft of inventory or intellectual property.
- Payroll Fraud: Employees may create “ghost employees” on the system, falsify their own timesheets to claim unworked overtime, or divert salary payments to their own accounts.
- Financial Statement Fraud: Management deliberately misrepresents the company’s financial health by inflating revenue or hiding liabilities to attract investors or meet performance bonuses.