A devout elderly tycoon was conned into draining his $60 million fortune to build a failed theme park by three men who allegedly preyed on his faith, a new lawsuit claims.
O. Gene Bicknell, 91, a philanthropist, actor, and Pizza Hut franchise owner, is suing three men in Oklahoma court for tricking him into spending millions on a theme park in Vinita, a small city about an hour outside of Tulsa.
Missouri-based preacher Larry Wilhite and failed theme park entrepreneur Richard Silanskas have been accused of executing a 'predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation,' according to the complaint.
Bicknell's lawyers claim the two convinced Bicknell to invest in their new park, called the American Heartland, 'through fraud and impersonation, that God himself was commanding him both to finance the park’s construction and to grant Silanskas and Wilhite two-thirds ownership over the completed venture, which was to be worth $2 billion.'
Bicknell and Wilhite met over two decades ago when the Pizza Hut tycoon hired the preacher to manage the Mansion Theatre.
