Former Connecticut Resident Sentenced to Prison for Role in Hartford Soccer Stadium Fraud Scheme

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MITCHELL ANDERSON, 53, of Bradenton, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a fraud scheme involving the redevelopment of Hartford’s Dillon Stadium and a plan to bring a professional soccer team to the city.  ANDERSON formerly resided in Avon, Connecticut.

According to court documents and the evidence introduced during the trial ANDERSON’s co-defendant, James C. Duckett, Jr., in September 2014, the City of Hartford entered into a professional services agreement with ANDERSON and his company, Premier Sports Management Group (“PSMG”), to secure a professional soccer team and to develop a new, 9,000-seat facility at the Dillon Stadium location.  Under the terms of the agreement, PSMG was entitled to receive $775,000 for serving as the project manager for the $12 million plan.  In February 2015, ANDERSON joined with Duckett who agreed to be the majority owner of the professional soccer team.  Duckett and ANDERSON represented to various city officials that PSMG and Duckett’s Black Diamond Consulting Group had merged for purposes of completing the Dillon Stadium project and securing the professional soccer team.  Duckett represented that he was a former professional football player in the NFL and that Black Diamond was involved in a casino project and sports-related projects in Las Vegas and Atlanta.

Beginning in approximately March 2015, ANDERSON submitted invoices to the city for reimbursement to PSMG subcontractors working on the project.  However, rather than pay the total amounts owed to PSMG’s subcontractors, Duckett and ANDERSON directed more than $1 million that PSMG received from the city to themselves, PSMG, Black Diamond, and other entities not related to the Dillon Stadium project.  Duckett and ANDERSON also secured invoices from subcontractors who had not performed work for the project, which Duckett and ANDERSON caused to be submitted to the city as if the work had been performed.  Duckett and ANDERSON then illegally used the proceeds of the fraud in a series of bank transactions to pay individuals and companies for expenses unrelated to the Dillon Stadium.

The investigation revealed that Duckett used funds that the city provided to PSMG to purchase a Range Rover that cost approximately $120,000, to pay unrelated attorneys’ fees and a $20,000 “finder’s fee” to an individual, and for other personal expenses including luxury clothing and jewelry items.

ANDERSON has agreed to make restitution of more than $1.1 million to the City of Hartford and two subcontractors of the Dillon Stadium project.

ANDERSON and Duckett were arrested on June 23, 2016.  On February 6, 2017, ANDERSON pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of conducting illegal monetary transactions.

ANDERSON, who is released on a $100,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on April 8, 2018.

On July 6, 2017, a jury found Duckett guilty of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from the scheme.  On December 6, Judge Underhill sentenced him to 36 months of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force, notably the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  The Task Force also includes members from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Karwan and Douglas Morabito.

Citizens are encouraged to report corruption to the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force by calling 203-238-0505.