He’s a party planner, so William “Billy” McFarland probably enjoyed solitary confinement even less than your run-of-the-mill convict.
Well, he’s (somewhat) free now, as the Fyre Festival organizer was released from solitary confinement after five and a half months and moved from a prison in Ohio to one in Oklahoma City.
Why was he in solitary? A fight? Something involving a shiv? Nope. For giving a podcast interview from prison.
Some costly self-promotion, one would think.
McFarland pleaded guilty in 2018 to three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of falsifying information to federal law enforcement for his role in trying to carry out a 2017 plan to host a two-weekend-long music festival in the Bahamas.
Ultimately, the scheme fell apart, costing customers and investors $26 million, according to the Justice Department.
He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
McFarland’s attorney Jason Russo confirmed to Fox News that the 29-year-old has been transferred from FCI Elkton prison in Ohio to FTC Oklahoma City.
“At this time, Mr. McFarland is simply relieved to be out of solitary confinement,” Russo said in a statement. “This punitive action by the (Bureau of Prisons) was unwarranted and tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment.”
The timing, Fox Business reports, coincides with a $2 million settlement for 277 Fyre Festival ticket holders, reached on Tuesday, for about $7,220 each, which covers “any and all damages associated with purchasing a ticket to a Festival that never occurred, purchasing air and other travel to the Festival, plus incidental and related damages that arose as a result of the experience,” according to documents filed in a Manhattan bankruptcy court.
In 2016, McFarland and business partner Jeffrey Atkins, aka rapper Ja Rule, started promoting the festival by heavily leveraging social media.
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