Charlotte club owner held in Hawaii in Stevie Wonder case

A Charlotte club owner and concert promoter has been held in Hawaii after a federal judge revoked his bond in a case stemming from a canceled Stevie Wonder concert, court records show.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang remanded Marc Hubbard, 47, into custody until he can show he has property or cash to support granting bail, according to an order signed May 7. Hubbard is being held at the Federal Detention Center Honolulu, according to the Bureau of Prisons website.

A federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted Hubbard in 2012 for wire fraud in connection with a Stevie Wonder concert that was to be held at the University of Hawaii. After tickets went on sale, Wonder’s management informed the university that the performer was not involved, and the show was abruptly canceled, earning the nickname “Wonder Blunder.”

Hubbard has pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled to start Aug. 25.

According to the order, Hubbard had pledged a property at 3500 E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte, the former home of his Club Hush, as security for his $100,000 bail. But the clerk’s office in Hawaii determined that a lien Hubbard had on the property was extinguished last year when a company called Carnover 2020 bought it through a foreclosure proceeding.

Attorney Bill Harrison, who is representing Hubbard, said his client never should have been detained and is currently in litigation over the foreclosed property. Harrison said he plans to file a motion this week asking for Hubbard’s bail status to be reconsidered.

Harrison said that Hubbard did nothing wrong in the Stevie Wonder case but because of the University of Hawaii’s embarrassment, “somebody’s head had to roll.” A co-defendant, Sean Barriero, has pleaded guilty to a related offense of transporting $200,000 taken by fraud and awaits sentencing.

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

In a separate case, Hubbard was indicted in Philadelphia in March on federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges. He is accused of defrauding investors who put more than $2 million into concert promotions on the promise of big returns.

An attorney representing him in the Philadelphia case has said Hubbard “fully intends to defend himself and remains confident that he will clear his name.”

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Charlotte club owner held in Hawaii in Stevie Wonder case."