Victims of the Fyre Festival fiasco in April came out after Mark Geragos called for them to file a class-action-lawsuit for fraud against the organizers. 300 people that came to the island of Exuma expecting an exhilarating weekend of fun, sun, and music coordinated with the lawyer to give their testimonies.
A $100 million suit was filed by Geragos against Billy McFarland, Ja Rule, and the Fyre Media, Inc. With all the participants coming together, they will have a strong case against the promoters of the event.
Fyre Festival victims likened to victims of Ponzi scam
The documents stated that the event was similar to a Ponzi scam where the victims lost their money to a promise of an amazing event. No one thought that the Fyre Festival would fail because the promo video for the event was done by famous personalities like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Hailey Baldwin. The video promised a life-changing experience with gourmet food and luxurious accommodation.
However, the participants were horrified to see a dusty, unfinished venue with no good accommodation except makeshift tents installed on the sandy area. There were no staff to answer their questions but there was somebody that told the guests to occupy any tent only to find out later that it was already occupied.
They were served with bread, cheese, and a little salad to satisfy their hunger.
Fyre Festival organizers charged with fraud
Those charged were Billy McFarland, rapper Ja Rule, and Fyre Media Inc. Hadid and her fellow models will reportedly be included in the complaint. Ja Rule’s lawyer said that his client has never entered into any fraudulent transaction.
McFarland said they did not expect that 8,000 people would purchase tickets. In just a few days the tickets were sold out. He also said that the proposed venue was too small for the volume of people that were coming. So they opted to find a bigger area. However, they failed to prepare the place in time for the festival.
Because of the traumatic experiences, angry victims did not hesitate to file a lawsuit to be compensated for the inconvenience and suffering they have been through.
To appease the ticket holders, McFarland promised to refund the tickets and will give a VIP pass for next year’s Fyre Festival. Tickets cost up to $100,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now investigating the class-action lawsuit. They are looking into possible wire, mail, and securities fraud. The Southern District of New York is coordinating with the FBI to investigate the complaints. McFarland did not comment on the litigation but will soon face the consequences of his and his company’s failure to deliver what was promised.
