If we had to select 2017’s most epic-fail in the music world, it would have to go to none other than Fyre Festival—the “A-List” Bahamian destination event, where everything that had the potential to go terribly wrong did exactly that. The event was like watching a small child build a sandcastle on the beach, only to have a massive wave come and wipe out the entire creation. Except for Fyre Festival, there was no wave, just rapper Ja Rule and his fraud of an entrepreneurial partner, Billy McFarland.
The music-festival-turned-mega-shit-show promised a luxurious, upper-crust gathering on a private island but promptly imploded, devolving into a borderline refugee situation just hours after the event began. McFarland and his company, Fyre Media, were quickly hit with a barrage of legal actions, including a 100-million dollar class action suit filed by Fyre Festival attendees, with various criminal charges brought on behalf of investors.
Already facing 40 years in jail following a guilty plea to two counts of wire fraud in connection to Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland has pleaded guilty today to new fraud charges, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 75 years behind bars. McFarland, a man with zero integrity and even less common sense given he was already under close watch, launched a new scheme in which he sold fake tickets to major events including Coachella, Super Bowl LII, and the MET Gala. According to prosecutors, McFarland scammed 30 people out of at least $150,000 and also attempted to pay an employee with a $25,000 fraudulent check.
On Thursday, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements. On top of his five-million dollar civil lawsuit, McFarland was ordered to forfeit over 26-million dollars to those he defrauded and deceived. With these new charges, McFarland faces up to 115 years in prison, although he’s expected to serve closer to 11 to 14 years under a plea deal he is negotiating.
Just when you thought Billy McFarland couldn’t be more of a clueless jackass, he went out and proved everybody wrong one more time. Here’s to Billy, hoping this is the last time we see your name and “amasses more criminal charges” in the same sentence! Cheers!
[H/T Consequence of Sound]