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The disgraced organizer of the disastrous Fyre music festival in the Bahamas, a bold ploy that defrauded investors and left hundreds of ticket buyers stranded on an island, was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison by a federal judge in Manhattan.
The organizer, Billy McFarland, 26, was also convicted for running a fake ticket business – but this fraud was trite compared to the Fyre Festival, which had been promoted by reputable social media influencers but had imploded. just as publicly on Instagram and Twitter. Mr. McFarland had promised an event with luxury accommodations and performances of bands like Blink-182, but the festival never took place, leaving the spectators wandering. unfinished sites on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas.
In March, Mr. McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after the investigators concluded that he had defrauded investors in his company, Fyre Media, as well as a subsidiary. who had promoted the music festival, resulting in losses of $ 24 million.
Then, in July, Mr. McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud related to another company he had run while on bail that had sold fake tickets for fashion-related events. , music and sports and would have cost at least about $ 150,000.
Prosecutors said the music festival, which was due to take place in 2017, was the product of an elaborate scheme. The festival's website identified its location as Fyre Cay, a fictional place described as a private island owned by drug lord Pablo Escobar.
In fact, Mr. McFarland obtained land on Great Exuma just weeks before the festival and hired workers who struggled to prepare. But when the ticket holders arrived, Mr. McFarland's plans proved futile and the festival was canceled. His famous business partner in Fyre Media, rapper Ja Rule, said on social media that he was "broken by chaos".
From late 2017 to early 2018, Mr. McFarland ran a company called NYC VIP Access, which sold fake tickets for events such as Met Gala, Coachella, Burning Man and the Super Bowl. In one case, according to prosecutors, two customers flew to the Florida Grammy Awards in New York, but were turned back at the door.
In a Sentencing Memorandum, prosecutors described Mr. McFarland as a "consumptive swindler," adding, "He betrayed and deceived his investors, his clients, and his employees while he lived in his apartment. luxury, traveling in exclusive places, luxury hotels, being heated in his Maserati, and entertaining with friends in restaurants, bars and casinos. "
They also accused Mr. McFarland of lacking remorse, citing an excerpt from a report written by a forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Andrew Levin, who had assessed the accused. With respect to VIP access operations, Dr. Levin wrote, "He did not think what he did was wrong."
Defense lawyers countered that Mr. McFarland made a real effort to use the money he received from investors in an imperfect business plan, was responsible for charitable acts and suffered from an untreated mental illness.
They also stated that the prosecution's assertion of their client's degree of remorse was based on "an erroneous and misinterpreted line".
Although Mr. McFarland may not have thought he was mistaken in executing VIP Access, he had come to see things differently, these lawyers wrote, adding, "As Billy unequivocally acknowledged, it was is a fraud. "
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