Scammer Billy McFarland, creator of the failed Fyre Festival was released from solitary confinement after recording a podcast interview released on his podcast, Dumpster Fyre podcast in prison last year October 2020.
In the 40 minute episode released on the 20th October 2020, Billy McFarland spoke to Dumpster Fyre podcast host Jordan Harbinger talking about his experience.
“This is inmate number 91186054: otherwise known as Billy McFarland, the founder of Fyre Festival. I’m currently serving my 29th month in federal prison at FCI Elkton in Ohio. This, is my story” – says McFarland.
The podcast is produced by creative media agency, Notorious featuring TV-documentary style production and recorded in a phone call to McFarland, who is currently still serving his prison sentence for scamming people at the Fyre Festival in 2017.
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Interestingly, Billy McFarland owns half the podcast which was created following reflection during a 3 month solitary confinement stint in October 2019, which he wanted to confront reality of the consequences of his actions.
“When I think about the mistakes I made there’s no other way I could describe it other than What the f*** was I thinking?”
“I hurt many people and I’m aware of the pain and suffering that I’ve caused. What I did was completely wrong and stupid…I let them down and I’m truly sorry for that” says Billy Farland.
McFarland, 28, is serving six years for fraud, after the notorious Fyre Festival was supposed to be a luxury music festival with glamorous accommodations and top-tier talent, but never happened after guests arrived to find a shambolic setup on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas in April 2017.
Mr. McFarland initially pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after investigators said that he had defrauded investors in his company, Fyre Media, and a subsidiary that promoted the music festival, resulting in $24 million in losses. While on bail, Mr. McFarland was charged with two additional counts of fraud related to a new company that prosecutors said sold fake tickets to fashion, music and sports events and was said to have cost at least 30 victims a minimum of about $150,000.
Currently in prison, he promises that 100% of the proceeds accumulated from his share of the podcast “will go towards restitution to help the victims I let down” – he says.
It’s not surprising that McFarland has released a podcast from prison because inmates are permitted to use phones, and that all calls are recorded and screened by the prison (which is how this podcast was recorded).
