Fyre Festival Organizer Charged With Wire Fraud

The founder of the Fyre Festival, a music festival in the Bahamas that was canceled abruptly in April, has been arrested and charged with wire fraud. Billy McFarland was arrested by federal agents at his home in Manhattan on Friday, with prosecutors accusing him of defrauding investors and misrepresenting financial information about his company, Fyre Media. “McFarland allegedly presented fake documents to induce investors to put over a million dollars into his company and the fiasco called the Fyre Festival,” Joon H. Kim, the acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. McFarland faces 20 years behind bars if convicted. McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, his partner in Fyre Media, also face over a dozen lawsuits over the failed music festival. The festival was promoted as a luxury music event with support from top stars, but when guests arrived, they found makeshift tents on a beach and dismal conditions.