prison time

Billy McFarland Confirms Fyre Festival 2.0 After Serving Four Years In Prison

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Billy McFarland’s first-ever attempt at throwing a music festival may have been one of the biggest flops in human history, but that’s not stopping him from trying again. On Sunday (April 9), the convicted felon announced via Twitter that he’s plotting another event in the near future, and he’s already seeking out eager volunteers to make an appearance on the guest list. “🔥 Fyre Festival II is finally happening,” he wrote on the weekend. “Tell me why you should be invited.”

Earlier this month, McFarland interestingly spoke out about his desire to return gracefully to the public eye, writing, “I was one of the most Googled people in the world. What’s next will be the biggest comeback of all time. My plan: get some wins under my belt; rebuild trust, and build an audience so I can build the next media empire.” As Variety notes, his latest announcement comes shortly after his release from prison last year. The 31-year-old served four years of a six-year sentence after pleading guilty to charges of defrauding investors and scamming ticket buyers. He additionally received a hefty fine of $26 million, which he has vowed to find a way to pay.

Billy McFarland is Planning a Comeback

In response to his Fyre Festival news, many users chimed in with skeptical reactions. “Tell me why you shouldn’t be in jail?” one user asked McFarland. “It’s in the best interest of those I owe for me to be working,” he retorted. “People aren’t getting paid back if I sit on the couch and watch TV. And because I served my time.” Someone else suggested that they should be invited to the upcoming event, “because [they’re] not Ja Rule,” which earned an obvious seal of approval from the embattled businessman.

“I know a safer way to enjoy music,” the official LimeWire account quipped, though they weren’t fortunate enough to earn a reply from the original poster. Keep scrolling to read more Twitter reactions to Billy McFarland’s big announcement. Afterward, let us know if you’ll be attending Fyre Festival 2.0 in the comments below.

Twitter Reacts

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Detroit Rapper Crème Serving Prison Time For Stealing Millions Via Tax Fraud

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Detroit artist Crème of the rap duo Deuces Wild is serving time in prison after stealing millions through tax fraud. Moreover, a judge sentenced her to four and a half years behind bars for a tax fraud scheme that involved state agencies and the IRS. Also, they ordered Crème, real name Sameerah Marrell, to pay almost $8 million in restitution. Overall, the rapper stole $8.5 million through a tax fraud scheme, effective from 2014 to the early months of 2022.

Furthermore, the Detroit area artist pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, and committing an offense while on bond in January. However, she avoided authorities by refusing to attend a guilty plea hearing in October of 2022. Still, her failure to comply didn’t last long, as officials caught her in Memphis back in December of 2022. Through Crème’s fraudulent system, she and her accomplices targeted both state agencies and the wider Internal Revenue Service. Moreover, the 42-year-old and complicit colleagues filed over 120 false income tax returns for trusts and estates. While this was to try to claim over $13 million from the IRS, the buck didn’t stop there. In addition, they falsified state income tax returns to try to claim over $14 million from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland and Minnesota.

Crème Caught For Tax Fraud

“Ms. Marrell committed an astonishing amount of fraud against federal and state agencies,” the IRS said in a press release from official Charles Miller. “She also proved herself incorrigible, continuing her scams even after her initial arrest. We hope that today’s sentence will deter both Ms. Marrell and anyone else who seeks to steal public funds for private gain.”

While Crème launched an insane plan with a broad scope, all roads led to her eventual arrest given the staggering amount of fraud. Moreover, she must serve three years on supervised release after she completes her prison sentence. Meanwhile, she actually caught at least a bit of neutral news from the sentence. For example, the court slightly reduced her restitution based on cars, money, and jewelry seized by the government during the investigation. At least it’s not cash upfront. Regardless, come back to HNHH for more wild stories and occurrences in the rap game.

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R. Kelly Sentenced To One More Additional Year Of Prison Time In Chicago Case

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R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his Chicago case, but most of that time will be served concurrently with his 30-year sentence from his New York conviction. Moreover, the disgraced artist will serve 19 of those 20 years at the same time he’ll serve his other sentence, with one year of this new sentence served after his 30 years in a Chicago federal prison. Furthermore, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber added just one more year to Kelly’s overall sentence, totaling at 31 years. Also, he was convicted on charges of child pornography and enticement of minors in his Chicago case. On the other hand, his New York sentence came from convictions of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. All these charges, convictions, and sentences are on a federal level.

Furthermore, the sentence is less than what prosecutors and victims sought in the case. They believed Kelly’s crimes constituted jail time for the rest of his life, and wanted the Chicago sentence to come into effect after he served his New York time. “The only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” they expressed to Judge Leinenweber in court documents requesting an additional 25 years.

R. Kelly’s 20-Year Sentence Is A Year-Long One In Practice

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 06: Singer R. Kelly leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on June 06, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The singer appeared in front of a judge to face new charges of criminal sexual abuse. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

However, defense attorneys maintained that his existing 30-year sentence already constituted a practically lifetime sentence. For example, they pointed out many of the R&B singer’s past traumas, defending that he was a hurt person who hurt people. Also, they brought up the star’s diabetes condition and made seemingly successful arguments for leniency in his sentencing. In a riskier move, Kelly’s legal team argued that the government sought to convict him on previously acquitted charges, and had mentioned accusations of racial bias compared to other celebrities.

Overall, the judge ruled that the singer’s actions did not merit a sex trafficking sentencing enhancement. Leinenweber disagreed with prosecutors on the claim that Kelly used fear to seduce young girls, even after testimonies. Furthermore, he stated that deterrence is not a valid factor, since Kelly already lost his wealth and status as a result of his deplorable crimes. Regardless of your take on the sentence, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on R. Kelly.

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