Fyre Festival promoter arrested on wire fraud charge

ARRESTED: Fyre Festival promoter Billy McFarland.

As of Saturday, July 1, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) — The promoter behind the failed Fyre Festival music event in the Bahamas was arrested Friday in New York on a wire fraud charge.

Billy McFarland was charged with scheming to defraud investors in his company, Fyre Media, and Fyre Festival that was supposed to take place on the island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May.

The Fyre Festival was billed as an ultra-luxurious event with headliners including rockers Blink-182 and the hip-hop act Migos. But performers bowed out and organisers were forced to cancel the show.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said McFarland presented fake documents to induce investors to put more than $1 million into his company and the failed festival.

Kim said McFarland "promised a 'life changing' music festival but in actuality delivered a disaster."

An attorney who has represented McFarland did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

McFarland and his partner, the rapper Ja Rule, already face more than a dozen lawsuits filed by ticket buyers and investors in the festival.

A lawsuit filed in May in Los Angeles said the festival was "nothing more than a get-rich-quick scam" akin to a Ponzi scheme.

Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, has not been arrested.

McFarland, 25, is expected to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Saturday.

He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 9 months ago

And certain Bahamians involved with this guy McFarland in promoting his fraudulent activities will be arrested by agents from the White Plains NY office of the FBI the moment they set foot in the U.S.

TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago

Your Most Humble Comrade Tal the lone voice that never stopped yanking the chain out to questioning how all this could have been pulled off right under the eyes, ears and noses of our very own government officials and the politically connected. It also smells when the new red government sits silent on the questionable things srroundng the planning of what those in the know must have known was crooked from day one - the very same people who allowed a no bathroom potentially health and fire hazard tent city to be crated.... But if a non politically connected citizen attempted to build a simple illegal fence in their backyard they would quickly receive a visit from some government official telling them to tear down that damn fence and go about erecting it in the proper and right way.

sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago

This is what happens when there are clearly defined laws to deal with fraudsters and cronies who try and take advantage of citizens through schemes ........... This is where our laws have to evolve ....... and if they exist, they must be enforced ........ AG Bethel should take note and apply it to the PLP schemes in the past 5 years ......... Who in Cabinet gives a $30 million contract to a Church to fix up their property and then wet lease it from the Church for 5 years and then just walk away from the property??? .......... What kind of scheme is that?????

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