Last month, notorious Fyre Fest founder Billy McFarland was slammed with two new criminal changes for a wire fraud and money laundering scheme based around scam concert ticket sales. McFarland’s dealing through a company called NYC VIP Access occurred after his July 2017 arrest on wire fraud charges in the aftermath of the Fyre Fest debacle.
Today, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements. The charges could fetch a sentence of 115 years, but his plea agreement will likely result in a prison sentence of 11 to 14 years. He has also been ordered to forfeit $151,000. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman wrote in a Justice Department press release that McFarland’s alleged actions demonstrated a “disturbing pattern of deception.”
In March, McFarland pleaded guilty to the Fyre Fest wire fraud charges, which are likely to incur a eight-to-ten year prison sentence under a plea deal. He was also ordered to repay the $26 million he allegedly stole from the festival’s investors. Sentencing for McFarland’s new charges is set for September 17.
[Associated Press/The Daily Beast]
