Sugarman, who has ties to the Dodgers and Warriors, allegedly pocketed $9M of client fundsGETTY IMAGES
An LAFC co-Owner has been "charged with orchestrating a scheme to gain control over two investment advisory firms so he and a partner could steal" $43M of client funds "purportedly to invest in American Indian tribal bonds." L.A.-based financier JASON SUGARMAN, who "also has ties" to the Dodgers and Warriors, "pocketed" about $9M in the scheme. Criminal charges "have not been filed against Sugarman," but the SEC has "requested that the court order him to 'disgorge all ill-gotten gains.'" Sugarman is the "son-in-law" of Warriors co-Owner PETER GUBER and his financial stake in the Dodgers "involves his role as a partner" in the team's Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Dodgers (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 7/10).
BACK PAY: Cubs co-Owner TODD RICKETTS owns a 5,000-square-foot house in Wilmette, Ill., but he has been "paying taxes based on the value of the much older, smaller house he tore down to make way for the swank new one." The Cook County Board of Review now is "investigating the situation, which spans 12 years and three county assessors" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/10). The Chicago Tribune takes an extensive look at the investigation into Ricketts' property tax appeal (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/10).
HONORS & AWARDS: Longtime Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist PATRICK REUSSE yesterday was "nominated for the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Writers Association." Other nominees include longtime Ft. Worth Star-Telegram columnist JIM REEVES and late longtime Boston Globe columnist NICK CAFARDO (STARTRIBUNE.com, 7/9)....Former NFLer CHRIS LONG and the Fire have been "honored at the fifth Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards" (ESPN.com, 7/10).
NAMES: Former Rutgers men's basketball coach GARY WATERS was "selected as one of four commissioners for the inaugural NCAA College Basketball Academy." The other commissioners include former Boston College coach AL SKINNER, former St. John's coach STEVE LAVIN and former Nebraska coach TIM MILES (NJ.com, 7/9)....The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority "appointed two people to the Las Vegas Local Organizing Committee" to help plan for the '20 NFL Draft. LVCVA Chair LARRY BROWN will chair the committee, and MGM President of Entertainment & Sports GEORGE KLIAVKOFF will be added as a member (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 7/9)....Browns RB DUKE JOHNSON is “in the market for new representation after splitting” from agent KRISTIN CAMPBELL of 40 Sports & Entertainment Group (OHIO.com, 7/9)....SERENA WILLIAMS is on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine (TWITTER.com)....Members of the USWNT yesterday at the James Hotel in N.Y. held an “exclusive celebration at Jimmy, the hotel’s 18th-floor pool lounge with no coaches and no executives invited.” Players were also spotted at Haven spa in the NoHo neighborhood (NYPOST.com, 7/9).
