Fyre Festival mastermind Billy McFarland was placed in solitary confinement on Friday, as The New York Times reports. McFarland’s attorneys tell the Times that they believe the solitary confinement is the result of the recent launch of his new podcast “Dumpster Fyre” earlier this week; McFarland appeared on the debut episode, speaking via prison phone.
“We believe the investigation stems from his participation in the podcast and the photographs that were taken and utilized in the trailer, which were all properly taken,” McFarland’s lawyer Jason Russo told the Times. “We don’t believe he’s violated any rule or regulation, and there can’t possibly be anything else. He’s been a model prisoner there.”
McFarland is currently serving a six-year prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud in 2018. He stated on the first episode of “Dumpster Fyre” that any proceeds generated by the show would go towards the $26 million he owes the investors he defrauded in the Fyre Festival debacle. According to his lawyer, he’s currently scheduled to be released August 30, 2023.
Read “We Didn’t Start the Fyre: Sorting the Blame of Rival Fyre Fest Docs” over on the Pitch.