Complaint Review: Jim DeCicco and Brent Harvey - Redondo Beach California

Mr. Jim DeCicco and Brent Harvey, self proclaimed "executive producers" of a first year awards program called the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, are under indictment in Los Angeles Superior Court for several violations of California state and federal laws. Charges include: Theft of Intellectual Property, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets, Intentional Interference of Prospective Economic Advantage, Theft of Customer Lists, Fraud and Misrepresentation and other counts. The indictment was brought forth by the Los Angeles Music Awards, a 20 year old business that both DeCicco and Harvey once worked for. The lawsuit states that both defendants committed these acts in a willful and deliberate manner to not only take control of the existing Los Angeles Music Awards, but to damage the founders and executive producers credibility in the very community he helped to build. A jury trial is pending. While damages have not yet been specified, the producers of the LA Music Awards believe that the damage caused by these two individuals will result in a high six figure or low seven figure judgment against Brent Harvey and Jim DeCicco. Here is what we can tell you about these two defendants in this case that is backed up by factual evidence to be presented at trial.

Jim DeCicco, also known as Jim Deceito, or Scumbag Jimmy D. DeCicco worked for the LA Music Awards as a subcontractor from January 2003 until December of 2006. He provided video editing and production services as well as online customer list management services. In December of 2006, DeCicco asked for a greater role in the day to day operations of the awards program and suggested forming a new corporation that would have a CEO and Board of Directors. He recommended Mr. Ken Hollowell for the position of CEO and brought in another of his appointees, Mr. Marcus Barcroft. Jim DeCicco then appointed himself as Chief Financial Officer, taking control of all bank accounts, sponsors accounts and financial management responsibilities. It was later learned that DeCicco had no credentials to be a CFO anywhere, which is why the Fraud and Misrepresentation part of the indictment focuses primarily on him. Within a few short months, DeCicco, Hollowell and Barcroft began to dismantle everything plaintiff's had built over a 17 year period. These included the selection process for nominees, how the showcases were run, the red carpet event itself, the actual design of the awards, etc. When Plaintiff's objected to these changes, they were threatened with expulsion from the company and soon, a hostile takeover ensued. By August of 2007, the disputes were in court. In November of 2007, DeCicco, convinced he had taken over the awards program, began entering into strategic partnerships with other companies as the new "owner" of the long standing awards program. DeCicco also attempted to produce the event without it's founder and executive producer. It was that poor attempt that plaintiff's allege caused irreparable damage to the organization. In January of 2008, in a hearing at LA Superior Court, plaintiff's counsel successfully argued for return of the company to it's founder. However, upon giving it back to it's rightful owners, it had been so badly damaged by DeCicco and company that a massive rebuilding effort had to be done. DeCicco, upon realizing his failure at stealing plaintiff's business, started a competing program, using customer lists, formats, scripts, contacts, concepts and other elements taken from plaintiff's offices.

Brent Harvey: aka Kevin Brent Harvey or  K B H Entertainment. Brent Harvey was a 30 year friend to plaintiffs and was a trusted and highly compensated sub contractor for the Los Angeles Music Awards from the years 1996 until 2001. In 2003 and 2004, he was brought in again and paid to do consulting work. Canceled bank checks back up plaintiff's case that Harvey was a paid sub contractor, not "the producer" of plaintiff's awards program as he claims on his personal web site. Over the years, Brent Harvey, like DeCicco had access to plaintiff's offices and as such, had access to plaintiff's business documents and contact lists as well. Harvey told dozens of members of the independent music community that the awards program run by plaintiff's was "his" not plaintiff's. To this day, he still claims credit for this, despite the fact that Brent Harvey never invested any of his own funds or had any financial responsibility in the day to day operations of plaintiff's business. Brent Harvey and Jim DeCicco worked together in 2007 to try and take plaintiff's business from them as backed by a letter from the lawyer representing their side in the 2007 and 2008 dispute. Brent Harvey and Jim DeCicco are now business partners in this new awards program and have attempted to divide the music community in LA and beyond by unfairly competing with plaintiff's by using the plaintiff's own formulas that took nearly two decades to develop. For most on the 5 years Harvey was involved with plaintiff's business, his other job was as a disc jockey working in the adult entertainment business at various all nude dance clubs in and around the greater LA area. Harvey moved to LA from Alaska in the mid 1970's. Harvey never got past the 9th grade, let alone never having finished high school. Brent Harvey also worked at the Red Onion Restaurant chain for several years. His superb management skills helped run the company into bankruptcy. The Red Onion shut down it's franchise in October of 1993.

What is Jim DeCicco's and Brent Harvey's standing the creative community? None really. They do not belong to any reputable organizations, be it the LA or Hollywood Chambers of Commerce, or any other business advocacy group. They both like to call themselves a "Hollywood" awards show, but neither of them are a part of any organization that plaintiff's belong to in Hollywood.  It is the opinion of plaintiff's that these two are business predators, seeking out and then stealing other's work and accomplishments. It is plaintiff's hope that a 12 member jury will see the evidence provided by plaintiff's at trila and hand down a verdict that will forever make both of these individuals accountable for their actions.