Former Stillwater promoter pleads guilty to felony tax violations

A former Stillwater festival promoter who was convicted last year of issuing worthless checks has pleaded guilty to three felony tax violations associated with his time running the city's longtime Lumberjack Days celebration.

David Eckberg, 63, of Baytown Township, faced two counts of failing to pay sales and alcohol taxes and one count of failing to pay an out-of-state entertainment tax during the last three years of the festival. Under terms of his plea agreement, Eckberg would, among other things, serve five years of probation, pay restitution to the state and sign over rights to the Lumberjack Days name to the city of Stillwater.

"How he ran Lumberjack Days in these last couple years did a disservice to the name of the event," said prosecutor Rick Hodsdon, of the Washington County attorney's office. "We're giving it back to the community, I suppose, [as] some measure of — in a nonlegal sense — restitution."

Lumberjack Days was held in downtown Stillwater every July until it was canceled in 2011 because of mounting financial troubles. Eckberg pleaded guilty last year in a separate case to issuing tens of thousands of dollars in worthless checks and was sentenced to a year of probation, a $1,000 fine and 240 hours of community service.

According to new charges, filed in March, Eckberg owes more than $100,000 in taxes. As part of his plea, he will be required to make a $30,000 down payment to the state before his July 31 sentencing, Hodsdon said.

Additionally, Hodsdon said he will ask the judge at sentencing to forbid Eckberg from taking part in any future community events. Eckberg acknowledged in court that he's an adviser for the Run Stillwater event, a half-marathon and 5K run on May 23, Hodsdon said. But after that event Eckberg will be banned from being involved in any similar activities.

"He's agreed that he would not have financial involvement. … I want him to not have any involvement whatsoever," Hodsdon said. "He has not agreed to that, but he is aware that is what we're going to ask for."

Blair Emerson is a University of Minnesota student reporter on assignment for the Star Tribune.