The man who was behind a proposed 451-acre $3 billion sports village near Detroit Metro Airport is now facing federal fraud charges over the project.
Kenneth Bardwell, 66, from West Bloomfield, was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud.
Bardwell is the chairman and CEO of Motown Sports Group Holdings, which, according to project plans, was a 451-acre, state-of-the-art entertainment and sports complex.
The plan, according to project documents, was to bring a 1.15-million-square-foot sports facility that would feature a variety hockey and basketball courts, a restaurant, IMAX theatre, food hall, day care, expo center, fitness center, spa and more. It would also featurehotels, a football and soccer facility, golf center, tech center and more.
However, according to the feds, Bardwell obtained millions of dollars from investors for the project, and spent the money on strip clubs, retail goods, rental cars and more for he and associates.
The feds say that Bardwell told investors he would use the money to buy the land, and if it couldn't be purchased, he would return it to investors from an escrow account.
Earlier this year, San Francisco-based JLL Capital Markets announced it was engaged by Motown Sports Group to arrange project financing, with the goal of getting $40-$50 million.
The feds are looking for people who may have invested money with Motown Sports Group Holdings, Inc., or Kenneth Bardwell. Those who did can visit the FBI's website for more information.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI began investigating Bardwell in June 2025 after getting a complaint from a victim who said Bardwell was orchestrating a fraud scheme through the company.
"Bardwell's banking activity in current and closed accounts showed that his intent was to support a lavish lifestyle for himself and his associates by continuing to make promises to investors, in order to get them to continue to give him more funds," the complaint reads.
The feds say in the complaint that Bardwell and Motown Sports have closed multiple accounts and switched banks each time, and that over the period of 26 months, the business account had nearly $4 million deposited in it.
Funds were reportedly deposited, then withdrawn, at a nearly one-to-one rate, the feds say.
According to the feds, there were nearly $13,000 in high-end purchases from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Neiman Marcus and Foot Locker.
Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight released a statement after the charges. It said:
"As mayor, my administration has made economic development for the benefit of our residents a priority. We will work with anyone who can legitimately help us move Romulus forward, because our city deserves the best in housing, retail, and job creation.
Which is why we were supportive of this concept until receiving numerous contacts forcing us to question the legitimacy of the development.
The federal criminal charges appear to be the culmination of important work by federal law enforcement, which includes our referral of concerns that developed over time.
Most importantly, when the individual in question came asking for funds from our taxpayers, we said absolutely not.
My administration will continue to place economic development at the top of our priority list.
Today’s news is ultimately disappointing, but we will not tolerate what appears to be an attempt to take advantage of Romulus and its residents."
