Bruton Smith sues Wayne Newton
The lawsuit was filed in Clark County District in Las Vegas Feb. 9 by Smith, chairman and chief executive of Speedway Motorsports Inc., against Newton, his wife, Kathleen McCrone Newton, Newton company Desert Eagle LLC and a Newton Living Trust dated Dec. 19, 2001.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Mark Ferrario and Brandon Roos of the Las Vegas office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig on behalf of Smith, whose company based in Concord, N.C., owns tracks around the country for NASCAR and other races.
Smith is also the chairman and chief executive of automotive retailer Sonic Automotive Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.
The suit says that in March 2006, when Wayne Newton and Smith were friends, the Newtons approached Smith and asked him to assist the Newtons and Desert Eagle in obtaining a $3.75 million loan from Bank of America by providing a personal guarantee.
The suit says Wayne Newton planned to refinance existing debt with B of A and that the loan would be secured by Newton’s 38-acre residence in Las Vegas at Pecos and Sunset roads and by a private jet valued at more than $2 million.
“Defendant Newton informed plaintiff Smith that he considered Smith’s personal guaranty of the loan as a formality and that the Newtons and Desert Eagle would sell personal assets to pay off the loan before allowing B of A to pursue Smith for repayment of the loan," the lawsuit says.
The suit says Smith later guaranteed the loan, which initially was for $3.75 million in 2006 but was modified in 2007 to $3.35 million and was secured by Newton’s residence and associated Las Vegas land, as well as an aircraft described as a Fokker F.28 MK 1000.
The loan was to be repaid by May 30, 2009, but the Newtons failed to pay back all that was due and the loan has been delinquent since then, the lawsuit says.
Smith says in the lawsuit that in October he purchased the loan from B of A and that in November he sent a notice of assignment of the loan and demand for repayment to Desert Eagle, but that the defendants “refused to acknowledge or accept receipt of the demands for repayment."
The lawsuit asks the court for permission for Smith to foreclose on Newton’s property and asserts allegations of intentional fraud and negligent misrepresentation against the defendants.
“Defendants Newtons and Desert Eagle never had any intention of selling personal assets to pay off the loan, and in fact, allowed the loan to go into default," the lawsuit said.
“At the time defendant Newton made the…representations, defendant Newton knew or should have known that the Newtons and Desert Eagle did not have sufficient income and assets to pay off the loan and therefore the representations were false," the suit charges.
A spokeswoman for Newton, who performs at the Tropicana hotel-casino in Las Vegas, said Tuesday she was unaware of the lawsuit and said Newton’s management team typically doesn’t comment on litigation.
Financial problems have dogged Newton in recent years, especially since he lost a 2006 lawsuit filed by former Newton pilot Monty Ward over past-due wages.
Ward eventually obtained a judgment against Newton for $455,250 and has been garnishing the wages of Newton ever since.
Last July, Newton was sued twice in Las Vegas by creditors claiming to be owed tens of thousands of dollars. More at Las Vegas Sun