Fyre Festival Organizer Billy McFarland Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

Consequences may be dire for Billy McFarland.

BYMitch Findlay
Link Copied to Clipboard!
1.6K Views
Chance Yeh / Getty Images

It was supposed to be a utopia, only it turned out to be more akin to Dante's Inferno. The Fyre Festival proved to be one of 2017's most hilarious misadventures; billed as the ultimate getaway for rich millennials, Billy McFarland and Ja Rule's brainchild soon established itself as one of the biggest fails in modern history. You might recall the horrifying image of the most unappetizing sandwich ever captured on camera. Should you be so bold, you can revisit the initial report here. Suffice it to say, the failed festival led to many pissed off people, and it wasn't long before the mob was coming for Ja and McFarland alike. While Ja managed to slip away for the most part, Billy McFarland has been going down with his ship. 

TMZ reports that McFarland has plead guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud, after originally pleading not guilty back in October. The charges are apparently connected to funds he received from investors, which totaled over one million dollars. At his original trial, McFarland was accused of misleading investors with false statements, including fraudulent bank loans and false insurance policies. 

All things considered, it would appear that McFarland's fate is looking grim. TMZ's report claims that each fraud charge carries a potential sentence of twenty years, which could lead to McFarland spending the bulk of his life in prison if hit with the maximum. His sentence begins in June. 


Fyre Festival

Fyre Festival Organizer Billy McFarland Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud
  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
<b>Feature Editor</b> <!--BR--> Mitch Findlay is a writer and hip-hop journalist based in Montreal. Resident old head by default. Enjoys writing Original Content about music, albums, lyrics, and rap history. His favorite memories include interviewing J.I.D and EarthGang at the "Revenge Of The Dreamers 3" studio sessions in Atlanta and receiving a phone call from Dr. Dre. In his spare time he makes horror movies.