Fyre Festival Organizer Sentenced To Prison For Fraud

Billy McFarland, the organizer who scammed investors and people who bought tickets to the sham music event that was Fyre Festival, has been sentenced to six years in prison for fraud.

By on October 15, 2018
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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.

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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.

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