— Five months after the ripples of the FIFA corruption scandal reached all the way to Cary, the Carolina RailHawks nearly have a new owner.

Reliable sources close to the RailHawks confirmed that Stephen Malik, a Raleigh entrepreneur specializing in healthcare information technology, is poised to acquire controlling interest in the RailHawks from Traffic Sports USA. The sale could be finalized as soon as next week, although Malik has already been approved by the Board of Governors for the North American Soccer League (NASL) and has been quietly meeting with various figures in the Triangle soccer community.

On Sept. 28, Articles of Organization of “Carolina FC LLC” were filed with the N.C. Secretary of State’s office. Malik is listed as the limited liability company’s registered agent.

Malik’s purchase of the RailHawks would conclude Traffic Sports USA’s five-season ownership of the soccer club.

RailHawks President Curt Johnson declined any comment about an impending sale of the club when contacted.

Malik is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus with a BS in Business Administration and Management. In 2000, Malik founded Medfusion, a Cary-based purveyor of online patient portals and other related services for healthcare providers. In 2010, Malik sold Medfusion to Intuit for $91 million. After serving as president of the rebranded Intuit Health for three years, Malik re-acquired Medfusion, where he currently serves as Executive Chairman.

Malik also has investment relationships through Medfusion with Bull City Ventures and Hatteras Venture Partners, two Triangle-based venture capital firms. It’s unknown whether either firm will have any association with the RailHawks.

The sale of the RailHawks would represent a welcome coda to an otherwise turbulent season for the soccer club and its supporters. On May 27, the U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment of over a dozen FIFA officials and other sports marketing executives. Among them was Aaron Davidson, then president of Traffic Sports USA, the owner of the RailHawks.

The Justice Department also announced that Traffic Sports USA and its parent corporation, the Brazil-based Traffic Sports International Inc., pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on May 14, as a part of the ongoing DOJ investigation. José Hawilla, the owner and founder of the Traffic Sports Group, waived indictment and pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Hawilla agreed to forfeit over $151 million and divest his holdings in Traffic Sports.

The day news of the FIFA scandal broke, the NASL’s Board of Governors suspended Davidson, then the board’s chairman, along with all “business activities” between the league and Traffic Sports. However, Traffic Sports remained the owner and chief funding source for the RailHawks for the entire 2015 season.

The RailHawks finished the NASL’s spring season—which concluded in early June—tied for third in the 11-team league. With uncertainty swirling around the club’s future ownership, the RailHawks have notched only five wins out of 18 matches during the NASL’s fall season. Some of the club’s official supporters launched a multi-pronged protest against Traffic Sports’ continued control of the club.

The RailHawks conclude their 2015 regular season Oct. 30 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Perhaps in a bit of foreshadowing, the RailHawks have designated this as “Fan Appreciation Night,” complete with a post-game fireworks display and other festivities.