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STAR-ADVERTISER
Marc Hubbard: The North Carolina man was charged with wire fraud in 2012 for his alleged role in scamming the University of Hawaii out of $200,000
The North Carolina-based promoter behind the infamous “Wonder Blunder” concert scam was remanded to prison on Friday after failing to properly secure the $100,000 bond on which he has been able to remain free for the last two years.
Marc Hubbard, 46, was ordered to show proof that his bond was appropriately secured after a court review revealed that a North Carolina property that Hubbard had previously used as collateral to secure the bond had been sold in foreclosure and that Hubbard had no further claim of ownership.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang denied a request by Hubbard’s attorney John Schum to allow Hubbard two weeks to obtain alternative means of securing the bond, noting that the property had been transferred in May 2014 and that Hubbard had made no effort to inform the court’s pre-trial services office of the change.
In remanding Hubbard to prison pending his trial for wire fraud, Chang cited Hubbard’s non-compliance with the terms of his release and his “unreasonable risk of flight” based on Hubbard’s history of failing to appeal in court and his other pending trials for unrelated offenses in Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
Hubbard is accused of scamming the University of Hawaii out of $200,000 with false claims that he could arrange to have musician Stevie Wonder appear at a fundraiser for the UH athletic department. The incident touched off a firestorm of controversy that resulted in a legislative investigation, the reassignment of UH athletic director Jim Donovan and more than $1 million in legal expenses for the university.
