Murfreesboro, TN – New information continues to surface regarding the failed plans to build a massive sports complex in Murfreesboro, shedding light on the Arizona-based company behind the project and the federal charges its founders now face.
The proposed $350-million development, known as Legacy Sports Tennessee, was initially slated for over 260 acres along NW Broad Street near the I-840 interchange. The ambitious project, announced in 2021, was met with enthusiasm from both Murfreesboro and Rutherford County officials. However, that excitement soon turned to skepticism, and the project ultimately never materialized.
At the heart of the unraveling plan are Randy Miller and his son Chad Miller, who were recently indicted for defrauding investors and potential partners between November 2019 and May 2023. All of the allegations were tied to their park in Arizona and according to an unsealed federal indictment, the Millers used a combination of lies, forged documents, and inflated financial projections to secure over $250 million in bond funding. Rather than investing in the sports complex, prosecutors allege the money was spent on personal expenses, including luxury vehicles, homes, and inflated salaries.
Records show that one year after obtaining their initial round of funding, the Millers managed to generate an additional $33 million. But within another year, they defaulted on their bond payments. Roughly a year after that, they filed for bankruptcy.
The Miller family’s vision traces back to the early 2000s when Randy Miller first proposed building a youth sports park in Phoenix, Arizona. After his son's professional baseball career ended, Chad Miller joined the effort. In 2016, they commissioned a feasibility study to explore the viability of such a complex in Arizona. After several failed attempts to launch the project, a bank agreed to assist in 2019 by issuing municipal bonds.
The result was Legacy Park in Mesa, Arizona—a facility meant to serve as a blueprint for the larger Murfreesboro park. That Arizona facility opened in 2022 but quickly faced financial struggles. By 2023, the property was sold for under $26 million, a fraction of the estimated $284 million owed to bondholders. Only $2.5 million of that debt was recovered.
The indictment alleges the Millers used forged letters and inflated documents to secure funding and partnerships. One document falsely claimed a special needs organization would relocate its operations to the complex and hand over “all of its revenue” to Legacy Park. Other paperwork falsely bore the signatures of organizational leaders who later denied any involvement. Internal emails between the Millers reportedly discussed how to forge documents effectively—including matching fonts and ensuring names were spelled correctly.
In one email, Randy Miller sent his son a signature page from a previous feasibility study, writing, “Looks like your signature. LOL if needed.”
Court documents detail how bond proceeds were spent, including the purchase of a Cadillac Escalade registered to Chad Miller, a Chevrolet Tahoe for a relative, and over $400,000 in improvements to Randy Miller’s home. In 2021, the company's chief financial officer confronted the Millers about these purchases. The pair allegedly promised to repay the funds, but no such repayment occurred.
Ultimately, revenues and attendance at Legacy Park in Arizona fell far short of projections, contributing to the project's financial collapse.
Due to the nature of the bond sales and digital communications, including a webinar viewed in New York and deceptive statements distributed by an investment bank, the case is being prosecuted in a federal court in New York. The case is titled: United States of America v. Randy Miller and Chad Miller.
The two now face multiple charges, including Wire Fraud, Securities Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Securities Fraud and Wire Fraud.
As the investigation continues, the once-promising vision of a state-of-the-art sports facility in Murfreesboro serves as a cautionary tale of ambition, deception, and financial misconduct.
- See promotional video about Legacy that displays the actual sports complex in Mesa, AZ below...
- See previous article HERE.
- Pictures of the park in Arizona are on the VisitMesa.com website: Click Here to See
SEE VIDEO: Watch the 2022 Legacy Sports complex announcement that was captured on video by the City of Murfreesboro in the City Hall Rotunda. Scroll down to watch.
- Read the release from the Dept. of Justice HERE
- View the indictment HERE
- Read the article posted in The Mesa Tribune HERE
- 2022 Grand Opening Announcement in Mesa, AZ HERE
- 2024 Article about the land Legacy eyed in M’boro HERE
- 2022 Article about financial woes in Mesa, AZ HERE
- 2021 Press Release about Murfreesboro sports park HERE
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