Fyre Fest’s Billy McFarland is requesting an early prison release due to COVID-19
His lawyers are arguing his pre-existing conditions make him "particularly vulnerable" to the virus
Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland has requested an early release from prison due to the coronavirus pandemic.
McFarland is currently serving a six-year year sentence after being convicted in March 2018 of two counts of wire fraud relating to the disastrous Fyre Festival.
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The Hollywood Reporter has obtained court documents revealing McFarland has now made a plea to US District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald for a compassionate release due to pre-existing conditions which "make him particularly vulnerable to catching and suffering from severe or fatal consequences of the virus." These include asthma, heart issues and being on the “extreme scale of the allergy spectrum.”
The letter from McFarland’s lawyers says: "Mr. McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety. 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."
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McFarland is incarcerated at Elkton prison in Ohio, where News 5 Cleveland recently reported six inmates have died from COVID-19.
Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter
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