2004 Ownership Scandal
In July 2004, shortly after the opening of Champion Window Field, contractors began filing liens against the Florence Freedom, accusing the team of not paying for work done on the stadium. Eventually, 33 liens totaling $4.7 million were filed. In August, Fifth Third Bank sued team part-owner Chuck Hildebrandt for failing to repay multiple loans taken out to finance the stadium construction. As part of the lawsuit, it was revealed that Hildebrandt had used 204 acres (0.83 km2) of land that he did not own as collateral for the loans, and that he had given the bank a forged document as proof of ownership. Hildebrandt was later the subject of a federal white collar crime investigation and sentenced to prison in October 2005. The team was sold in November 2004 to a new ownership group led by Clint Brown, who was not associated with Hildebrandt's ownership group.
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