The only investor within the $2.5 billion American Heartland theme park and resort that failed to launch in Vinita, Oklahoma, has alleged fraud and psychological abuse from the builders, in accordance with a lawsuit filed July 25 within the U.S. District Court docket for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Within the go well with, 91-year-old Gene Bicknell, who as soon as owned a big chain of Pizza Hut franchises, alleges that promoters Richard M. Silanskas Jr., Larry Ok. Wilhite and Stephen D. Hedrick of Mansion Leisure Group stole $60 million and brought about him extreme misery that led to a stroke final 12 months.
The go well with, which asks for the funding again together with different charges, consists of texts and emails from Silanskas and Wilhite impersonating messages from God.
“Silanskas and Wilhite executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation — convincing Gene, by means of fraud and impersonation, that God himself was commanding him each to finance the park’s building and to grant Silanskas and Wilhite two-thirds possession over the finished enterprise,” the lawsuit reads.
Developer Mansion Leisure Group introduced in July 2023 designs for the 1,000-acre Americana-themed growth, together with curler coasters, an indoor water park, a 300-room resort and an RV park. The footprint of the 125-acre theme portion would rival Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, or Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, in measurement.
On the time, Hedrick commented publicly that Bicknell was the only monetary backer, per the go well with.
“The plan was to make use of Gene’s cash to construct the American Heartland Undertaking after which steal it, paying themselves handsomely alongside the way in which,” the go well with reads. “Silanskas already had a document of involvement in failed theme park tasks that left empty-handed traders of their wake.”
The RV space was initially scheduled to open in spring 2025, adopted by the theme park and resort in fall 2026. Certainly, the RV area broke ground in 2023 however nothing extra has been constructed in addition to a fence and a gravel street, in accordance with the go well with. Builders claimed that their design group consists of former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers, however that was additionally a lie, the go well with alleges.
“The groundbreaking was primarily the start and the tip of the development work on your entire Undertaking,” the lawsuit reads. “Harmless individuals misplaced cash by shopping for up land close to Vinita with property values inflated by information of a theme park that might by no means exist.”
This isn’t the primary time the mission has been sued. Canadian design agency Forrec and Columbus, Kansas-based Crossland Development each filed claims in Might 2024 alleging that they were not paid for their work. Not less than 5 lawsuits or arbitrations have been filed by distributors, in accordance with Bicknell’s go well with.
Mansion Leisure Group didn’t reply to Development Dive’s request for touch upon the lawsuit.
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