Fyre Festival Founder Pleads Guilty To Ticket Scam

TRIBECA, NY — The founder of last year's disastrous Fyre Festival pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud in connection to a separate scheme in which he pretended to sell tickets to high-end events — while his Fyre Festival fraud case was pending, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney.

Billy McFarland admitted to a sham operation where he claimed to sell tickets to exclusive fashion, music and sporting events through his company, NYC VIP Access. McFarland also plead guilty to bank fraud and making false statements to federal law enforcement in connection with the case.

"This was just another fraud in McFarland’s disturbing pattern of deception," said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman after McFarland's Thursday court appearance. "McFarland’s fraudulent schemes cost real people real money, and now he faces real time in federal prison for his crimes.”

On March 6, the 26-year-old entrepreneur plead guilty to wire fraud in an elaborate scheme to defraud more than 80 investors in the Fyre Festival, the much-hyped 2017 music festival that flopped, out of $24 million. McFarland's company behind the festival was headquartered in Tribeca. He also copped to charges related to defrauding a ticket vendor for the musical festival of $2 million.

But during the case, while McFarland was on pretrial release, he sought to con more would be buyers and tried to get customers to purchase tickets from NYC VIP Access to high-end events when the tickets never even existed. He even tried to dupe some of the same people who attended the Fyre Festival.

McFarland faces up to 115 years in the slammer when sentenced for both fraud cases on Sept. 17. But he is expected to serve closer to 11 years to 14 years under a deal he negotiated with prosecutors.

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