The owner of the Hartford FC soccer team who has plans to redevelop Dillon Stadium has a legal past that includes a conviction for embezzling $200,000 from a former employer and issues repaying debts.
The report was initially published by the Hartford Courant.
James Duckett is the President of Black Diamond LLC and is the majority owner of the Hartford FC organization which will have an indoor team play at the XL Center this fall.
“I think James and Black Diamond LLC will have to restore some confidence and how they do that, is up to them" said Ken Kennedy, a member of the Hartford City Council who has been very supportive of the team and and Dillon Stadium redevelopment.
Kennedy says the city has looked at ways to protect Hartford from a bad deal but adds that more such protections like bonds for rent, a shorter lease than currently proposed by Duckett, and other provisions could become reality.
"This isn't just about money" Kennedy said.
NBC Connecticut reached out to Duckett for comment but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Hartford City Council President Shawn Wooden said Duckett's past "is concerning."
Wooden added that the council is in the early stages of examining the project that could have a team playing in a new stadium as early as 2017 and the new facts about Duckett don't help speed up that process.
“I think anything that can bring vitality to our city that makes economic sense and a soccer team, that’s something that’s very exciting, it’s something that’s very popular to people in our city and so, but, as with everything, the devil is in the details," he said.
