Charlotte-area man pleads guilty in ‘Wonder Blunder’ case in Hawaii

A Charlotte-area man pleaded guilty this week on a federal wire fraud charge stemming from a canceled Stevie Wonder show at the University of Hawaii that gained national attention in 2012.

Marc Hubbard, 49, of Davidson, on Tuesday entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors in Hawaii, according to court documents.

The plea agreement says Hubbard falsely represented to an associate that he could produce a Stevie Wonder concert at the university but failed to disclose that he was not in touch with Wonder’s management. The agreement said Hubbard received $147,500 for the concert but used it for his own purposes.

As a result of Hubbard’s false statements, the University of Hawaii lost $200,000 on the canceled show, according to the plea agreement. The incident, which earned the nickname “Wonder Blunder,” also brought the school national embarrassment.

In July, Hubbard also pleaded guilty in Philadelphia to an eight-count federal indictment that alleged he perpetrated a scheme to defraud investors in a concert promotion business, according to prosecutors. In June 2015, he also pleaded guilty in state court in South Carolina to a charge of breach of trust with fraudulent intent. The two cases were related.

Hubbard’s attorney, Bill Harrison, said it made sense for his client to enter the plea agreement in Hawaii after he received negative pre-trial publicity from the plea in Philadelphia.

“It’s been a long time for him,” Harrison said. “This is a difficult chapter in his life, and he just wants to move on from that.”

Hubbard’s sentencing in the Philadelphia case is scheduled for Oct. 11, followed by a sentencing in Hawaii on Feb. 16.

In the Hawaii case, Hubbard could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000, according to the plea agreement. That sentence will run concurrent with his sentence in Philadelphia, Harrison said.

During a two-decade career, Hubbard operated more than a dozen clubs and promoted concerts for big-name hip-hop artists, according to his website. But his business ventures frequently drew scrutiny from authorities or landed him in court.

In Charlotte, Hubbard’s Club Hush once occupied the landmark Capri Theater on Independence Boulevard, gaining attention for an appearance by Kim Kardashian during the 2012 Democratic National Convention. But the club closed in 2014 amid a foreclosure dispute.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Charlotte-area man pleads guilty in ‘Wonder Blunder’ case in Hawaii."