Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland has requested to be released from prison during the coronavirus pandemic.
McFarland claimed he is at higher-risk of contracting the coronavirus due to preexisting health conditions, according to a report published Wednesday by The Wrap.
Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland is asking for early release from prison https://t.co/HxvWHkvWFP
— billboard (@billboard) April 16, 2020
“Mr. McFarland has informed us that he has pre-existing conditions that make contracting Covid-19 easier, and which increase his potential to suffer severe health issues and death if he does so, including being diagnosed with asthma as a teenager,” his lawyers claimed in new court documents obtained by the outlet.
McFarland was also diagnosed “on the ‘extreme’ scale” for allergies and has issues “related to breathing and his cardiovascular system.” Lawyers also claimed he suffered from heart problems in his 20s. (RELATED: Mike Bloomberg Is Paying The Same Meme Maker Who Promoted Fyre Festival)
McFarland’s lawyers emphasized the festival founder is “not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety.”
McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty for wire fraud back in 2018. He is currently serving his time at the Elkton Correctional Institute in Ohio. At least 24 inmates and 14 staffers have tested positive for coronavirus at this point, The Wrap reported.
McFarland was accused of defrauding investors of $26 million after promising a luxury festival that never happened. Fyre Festival, which never happened, left hundreds of fans stranded after spending thousands on travel and tickets.