SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, May 13, Nick Bovis was charged with honest services wire fraud and wire fraud. Bovis, who is the owner of Lefty O’Doul’s, a sports bar located on Jefferson Street pled guilty to both charges and signed a plea agreement. According to the terms of the agreement, he must help federal investigators with an ongoing investigation and turn in any assets he gained through illegal means. His hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 21 and will be conducted via video conference.
A complaint filed was filed against Bovis in January 2020 that indicated he and Mohammed Nuru, the San Francisco Director of Public Works, tried to bribe a commissioner of the San Francisco International Airport from January 2018 to April 2018. They offered various bribes, including cash and free travel, in an attempt to secure the rights to install a restaurant in the airport. The commissioner did not accept any of the bribes. The FBI arrested both men in January.
Court documents indicate Bovis could have been a part of an honest services wire fraud scheme dating back as early as 2015. He could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison along with a fine of $250,000 per count to which he pleads guilty. According to the press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, “The prosecution is being handled by the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California’s new Corporate Fraud Strike Force.”