Man Who Orchestrated Fyre Festival Disaster Sentenced To Prison
Billy McFarland, the man who organized the Fyre Festival last year, has been sentenced to six years in prison for wire fraud and defrauding investors of the doomed music festival.
By bonneville on October 15, 2018
The man who organized the now infamous disaster that was the Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, has been sentenced to six years in prison. He was charged with wire fraud, after millions of dollars were lost by both investors and ticket holders in connection with the sham music festival.
According to Buzzfeed News, McFarland pleaded guilty to the charges in March, that had been brought forward in relation to the festival in April of 2017. The over-hyped and promoted Fyre Festival, which was advertised as an A-list music and social event, ended up being little more than a tent city and cheap boxed sandwiches.
Related: ‘Jersey Shore’ Star Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Sentenced To Prison
It was reported that the disaster festival lost over $24 million, after nearly 80 investors pledged funds to help finance the Fyre Festival. Additionally, McFarland was charged with two more counts of fraud in July, when he attempted to sell fake VIP tickets to various events while he was out on bail.
Prosecutors originally sought a sentence of 15-20 years in prison for McFarland. His previous history of conning investors and running fraud schemes led prosecutors to describe McFarland in their statement as: “the sole criminal mastermind who ran sophisticated fraudulent schemes for three companies over the course of several years.”
To read more about McFarland and the disaster of Fyre Festival that left thousands of people stranded in the Bahamas, click here.
