Fyre Festival's Billy McFarland requests early release from prison due to COVID-19 concerns

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Billy McFarland, the convicted fraudster and former CEO of Fyre Festival, has requested an early release from prison in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Court documents obtained by Hollywood Reporter show McFarland’s lawyer pleading to a US district court judge that the 28-year-old inmate has pre-existing conditions that make him “particularly vulnerable to catching and suffering from severe or fatal consequences of the virus.”

“Mr. McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety,” reads the request. “The crime to which he pled guilty for was the non-violent financial crime of wire fraud. However, he is a low risk of recidivism for such financial crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.”

McFarland has been incarcerated at Ohio’s Elkton prison since the beginning of 2018, where Dispatch reports at least 60 inmates have recently tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information about the causes and symptoms of COVID-19, please visit the CDC.

Via: Dispatch / Hollywood Reporter

Featured image: Mark Lennihan