CEO of Florida medical technology startup, 28, used company as a personal piggy bank and blew $400k on escorts, strip clubs, UberEats, Lyft and gifts for family, lawsuit claims

The CEO of a Florida medical technology start-up is accused of blowing more than $400,000 in company funds on escorts, strip clubs and UberEats orders, a lawsuit filed by one of the company’s shareholders claims.

Filed in Hillsborough County, Tampa, the suit accuses Ecover Global CEO Raymond ‘Ben’ Sever, 28, of using the business as his ‘personal piggy bank to live on’.

Sever allegedly paid nine different women, referred to in the suit as 'escorts', nearly $30,000 in company funds, including one woman who received as much as $12,000 in total. 

He’s also accused of making more than $17,000 in ATM withdrawals, which was said to be used to pay for liquor and visits to Thee Dollhouse strip club.

The suit, filed by his former best friend and business partner Brandon Bowen, 28, claims Sever additionally used $12,000 of company money to pay his rent, spent $64,000 on non-business expenses, and used more than $5,000 to buy gifts for family members.

Filed in Hillsborough County, Tampa, the suit accuses Ecover Global CEO Raymond ‘Ben’ Sever, 28, of using the business as his ‘personal piggy bank to live on’

He’s also accused of making more than $17,000 in ATM withdrawals, which was said to be used to pay for liquor and visits to Thee Dollhouse strip club

The suit, filed by his former best friend and business partner Brandon Bowen, 28, claims Sever additionally used $12,000 of company money to pay his rent, spent $64,000 on non-business expenses, and used more than $5,000 to buy gifts for family members

The alleged misappropriation of funds took place between June 2019 and June 2020, the suit states.

ECOVER CEO'S ALLEGED EXPENDITURES 

$166,569 in electronic money transfers

$111,130 in 'customer withdrawals' 

$64,000 spent on non-businesses expenses, including thousands spent on Uber, Uber Eats, Postmates and Lyft 

$60,200 on wire transfers 

 $30,000 paid to nine different women, identified in the suit as 'escorts', including one who received a total of $12,000 

$17,000 in ATM withdrawals that was used to pay for nights out

$12,792 put towards his personal rent for his apartment over a period of five months 

$10,530 spent at Thee Dollhouse strip club in Tampa in the month of December 2019 alone 

$8,000 on dozens of orders on Uber Eats and Postmates 

$5,000 used to purchase gifts for family members  

In addition, Bowen accuses Sever of subjecting the company to potential civil and criminal liability for ‘failure to pay income tax, FICA and Social Security withholdings for employees and has failed to provide employees with forms required by the federal government’.

‘Further, Sever knowing he has done wrong, attempted to cover his tracks,’ the suit claims.

Bowen, Ecover’s former vice president, had been encouraging the company’s board members to look into Sever’s spending habits for several months, but according to the lawsuit they never did.

The VP, who has a 10 percent stake in the company, then took it upon himself to investigate the matter with an attorney.

That investigation culminated in the pair falling out back in May, according to the lawsuit, when Bowen confronted Sever over his spending habits.

The following day, Bowen says he was terminated from the company.

Among Severs alleged reckless spending habits, the lawsuit outlines dozens of transactions he made – varying from $200 to $2,800 – to nine different women.

One of those women, referenced by her social media username ‘Brooke Baddd’, allegedly received more than $12,300 in nine separate payments from Sever via electronic transfer. The largest transaction was $2,500, the smallest $300.

Brooke Badd bills herself online as a ‘Dancer/ entertainer/ investor’ and also runs an OnlyFans account, an X-rated content subscription service.

As reported in the suit, Sever also reportedly billed the company on at least five separate occasions to cover the cost of his rent for his apartment, totaling $12,792.

The rent payments reportedly came in addition to $64,757.31 in non-business transactions.

As well as regularly transferring sums in excess of $3,000 on some occasions from Ecover’s corporate account to his personal account, Bowen says Sever also spent thousands on nights out and on food delivery services.

Among Severs alleged reckless spending habits, the lawsuit outlines dozens of transactions he made – varying from $200 to $2800 – to nine different women. One of those women, referenced by her social media username ‘Brooke Baddd’ , allegedly received more than $12,300 in nine separate payments from Sever

Sever allegedly paid nine different women, referred to in the suit as 'escorts', nearly $30,000 in company funds, including one woman who received as much as $12,000 in total

The suit, filed by his former best friend and business partner Brandon Bowen, 28, also claims Sever used $12,000 of company money to pay his rent, spent $64,000 on non-business expenses, and used more than $5,000 to buy gifts for family members

Sever is accused of spending more than $10,530 at Thee Dollhouse strip club in Tampa in the month of December 2019 alone. The alleged spending spree took place across a period of just 10 days, exhibits provided as part of the suit claim.

Sever is accused of spending more than $10,530 at Thee Dollhouse strip club in Tampa in the month of December 2019 alone (shown in-part above)

Between July 2019 and April 2020, Sever also allegedly spent in excess of $8,000 on dozens of orders on Uber Eats and Postmates.

He’s also accused of spending several thousands of dollars on rides with Uber and Lyft over a 12 month period, journeys for which Bowen claims were not business-based.

In total, more than $166,000 of electronic money transfers were allegedly made by Sever over a 12 month period, in addition to $62,000 in wire transfers and $111,130 in unspecified 'customer withdrawals, the suit states.

Additionally, Bowen says Sever also exploited his position as CEO of Ecover Global to access company funds to pay for three lavish personal holidays to Las Vegas, San Francisco and Connecticut.

During his stay in Vegas, Sever reportedly racked up a near $900 tab at the gentlemen’s club, the Sapphire Restaurant, on his company card.

Bowen is suing for more than $400,000 in damages on behalf of minority owners in the company and is requesting trial by jury.

The ex-VP wrote in a letter to the board in June that he believed the transaction records he unearthed were just the tip of the iceberg, and showed ‘only a small part of Sever’s wrongful conduct’.

Between July 2019 and April 2020, Sever also allegedly spent in excess of $8,000 on dozens of orders on Uber Eats and Postmates

On his website, Sever bills himself as a ‘relentless problem-solver’ and ‘serial entrepreneur’. He recently joined the AdventHealth Carrollwood Foundation board of directors and markets himself as an industry disruptor offering public speaking, performance coaching and new venture consulting.

Sever’s attorney, Sarah Glaser told the Tampa Bay Times: ‘Ecover’s company values are important to it above all else. They have full faith in the court system and look forward to the truth coming out in court.’

Sever has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment. Bowen's attorney, David T. Knight has also yet returned a comment request. 

Ecover global runs an app that helps doctors share messages with patients before and after surgery.

Sever had been seeking additional investor funding earlier this year. During a pitch hosted by Tampa Bay Wave in January, he told potential investors the company had already raised $700,000 and was valued at $35 million, according to the Times.