Former Dudley Manlove singer sentenced to eight months in jail for stealing from band

The former singer of Seattle cover band Dudley Manlove Quartet was sentenced on Friday to eight months in jail for stealing nearly $100,000 from the band.

Paul Jensen, 40, pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree theft that occurred between January 2006 and December 2007. He originally had been charged with 32 counts of first-degree theft and 16 counts of second-degree theft.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Bradshaw also said Friday that Jensen would be eligible for work-release so he could pay $43,000 in restitution. Jensen works at the Seattle Weekly.

Dudley Manlove drummer Jeff Mosier said during the sentencing hearing that Jensen was there "by choice" and that the band had given Jensen "many, many opportunities" over several months to make things right before they went to police.

"If he had made any effort we would have worked with him," Mosier said.

According to charging papers, Jensen was in charge of booking events for the Dudley Manlove Quartet, signing contracts and collecting payment for gigs.

He deposited $97,746 of the band's earnings into his personal account from performances at weddings, private parties and Seattle venues such as the Crocodile Cafe and the Showbox, court documents said.

The other band members confronted Jensen in January 2008 after they noticed several engagement fees were past due, according to court documents.

Jensen said he had used band funds held in a limited-liability company account to "float" himself financially, but that he paid them back, court documents said.

Jensen provided copies of event contracts to the other members, who discovered the contracts had been edited to increase event fees, to instruct payers to make checks payable to Jensen and to mail payment to his personal address, charging papers said.

Band members filed a theft report with the Seattle Police Department in March 2008. They also replaced Jensen as singer.

Mosier said the band wanted Jensen to spend time behind bars so that he could break his "self-destructive" habits of excessive drinking and spending.

"If there was ever somebody in need of a wake-up call, it's Paul," Mosier said during Jensen's sentencing. He said a jail sentence could give Jensen the "courage to make the profound changes he desperately needs to save his life."

Jensen apologized to his family members and former bandmates in court, but declined to comment after the hearing.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com.

Information from The Seattle Times archives is included in this report.