Sports CEO Timothy Leiweke is charged with U.S. crime in Texas Arena bidding program

A prominent sports executive has been criminally charged with organizing a conspiracy to ensure his company wins a bid to build a $388 million gym Texas.

Former President of the Denver Nuggets Basketball Team, Timothy Leiweke, former CEO of MLSE, owns major sports franchises in Toronto, including the Leaf and Raptors charged Wednesday by a federal grand jury. After the announcement, he resigned as the company CEO of the case center Oak View Group (OVG).

A spokesman for Leiweke, 68, made a statement insisting that “nothing was done wrong and that he would vigorously defend himself and his due reputation in fairness and integrity.”

Investigators claim that Leiweke spent some time starting in February 2018 until at least June 2024, conspiring with competitor CEOs to “driving the development, management and use of the Moody’s Center” to bid at the Moody’s Center. Texas In Austin.

Levik allegedly reached a deal where rival companies would agree to avoid bidding at Moody’s Center in exchange for OVG, thus offering it a subcontract contract for the project.

The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement that OVG continued to build the building after submitting its sole bid, with the Moody’s Center opening in 2022.

Leiweke could face up to 10 years in prison and fined $1 million or more if guilty.

A statement from the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater accused Levik of “depriving public universities and taxpayers of competitive advantage” to raise the company’s bottom line. She said federal officials always try to “make cheating executives avoid competing to account.”

“Public contracts are subject to laws that require open competitive bidding procedures to ensure a level competitive environment,” said Christopher Raia of the FBI in a statement. He added: “The FBI is determined to ensure that those who ignore the principle of fair competition do not benefit from the rigging bidding process targeting our communities and public institutions.”

Leiweke served as president of the Nuggets from 1991 to 1995 before becoming CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), whose shares include the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Team and the Los Angeles Galaxy Football Club. After leaving AEG in 2013, he served as CEO and president of MLSE Canada, whose shares include major sports franchises in Toronto. He co-founded OVG, headquartered in Denver, and became CEO in 2015.

Among OVG’s upcoming construction projects is the new arena at Louisiana State University (LSU). University officials reportedly told Advocate They are reviewing how the allegations against Levik affect the newspapers on the new arena project.