Overview

• Gene Bicknell filed a 68-page complaint on July 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma alleging Richard Silanskas Jr., Larry Wilhite and Stephen Hedrick ran a criminal enterprise.
• The lawsuit claims the defendants impersonated God and a fictional nun through hundreds of texts and emails to pressure the 92-year-old investor into investing over $60 million.
• Despite plans for a $2.5 billion, 1,000-acre Americana resort in Vinita, Oklahoma, only a gravel road and fence were ever constructed on the site.
• Silanskas, Wilhite and Hedrick face seven counts including racketeering, conspiracy, fraud, deceit, constructive fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and unjust enrichment, with Bicknell seeking damages and injunctive relief.
• Local officials, including Vinita’s mayor, have expressed guarded optimism as the lawsuit proceeds and the park’s future remains unresolved.