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.
In late 2019, Wilhite allegedly met Silanskas, who claimed to be a high-powered executive in the entertainment industry with a resume that included stints at CBS, ESPN, and theme parks in Asia.
Silanskas’ resume also included a failed theme park in Fort Worth, Texas, that landed his partner, and retired Disney executive, Ronald Logan, with a prison sentence of 10 years for securities fraud.
The lawsuit alleged that Silanksas and Wilhite enlisted a supposed Arizona-based executive, Stephen Hendrick, to defraud Bicknell by operating a criminal enterprise.
O. Gene Bicknell, 91, a philanthropist, actor, and Pizza Hut franchise owner is suing three men for racketeering and conspiracy
Bicknell alleged that he was defrauded into believing God was instructing him to build a theme park in Oklahoma (Pictured (left to right): Mayor Josh Lee, Gene McComb, Steve Hedrick, Kristy Adams, Gene Bicknell, and Larry Wilhite)
Silanksas and Wilhite allegedly presented plans to Bicknell for the American Heartland theme park after posing as God in messages telling him to ‘move forward without obstruction or delay’
Silanksas and Wilhite allegedly crafted a plan to expand the Mansion Theatre, but miscalculated Bicknell’s fortune to be billions of dollars and set their sights on a bigger project.
The American Heartland Theme Park was born in 2022, which was when ‘God’ began messaging Bicknell.
The alleged conmen began sending Bicknell messages with the title ‘Todays Word’ which compelled the tycoon to invest in the park.
On May 2, 2022, Bicknell received a message instructing him to ‘Remove every thought of operating as you have in the past with business and decision making.’
‘Allow those I sent to you to move forward without obstruction or delay. Trust them completely and avoid inserting any distractions or doubtful questions.’
Two days later, Wilhite emailed Bicknell a project development plan for the theme park, including detailed images and a proposed location.
The lawsuit states that Bicknell believed he was communicating with God, and when a friend questioned why he chose Oklahoma as the location for the theme park, he responded, ‘This is God’s plan. Not mine. He has laid it on me.’
Bicknell began draining his funds in the summer of 2022, dropping multiple payments of $500,000 and $600,000 throughout the year.
The lawsuit alleges that Silanksas and Wilhite ‘executed predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation’
Bicknell allegedly began pouring cash into the project in 2022 and didn’t stop until he drained around $60 million
The project ramped up in 2022, and Bicknell’s transactions increased to millions of dollars at a time.
As the installments increased, so did the messages from ‘God.’ Silanksas and Wilhite allegedly began emailing Bicknell under the address ‘heavendirectword@gmail.com.’
On June 29, 2023, Bicknell received an email that read, ‘I present clear opportunities and send them your way to fulfill needed resources and yet you turn a blind eye thinking you know better than I, your Father.’
The emails became more aggressive, with a July message telling Bicknell, ‘The fulfillment of this vision awaits your faithful obedience immediately! DO NOT ENTER THIS DAY WITH YOUR OWN PLANS AND DECISIONS! FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS PRECISELY AND NOTHING MORE!’
The project claimed to rival Disney World and create jobs for the community (Pictured (left to right): Steve Hedrick, Kristy Adams, Gene Bicknell, Larry Wilhite, Mayor Josh Lee, Gene McComb, and Hopper Smith)
The park was set to cost $2 billion, but Silanksas and Wilhite allegedly underestimated Bicknell’s net worth
The project generated significant media coverage when it was announced to the public in 2023
That summer, the American Heartland Theme Park was announced to the public, with a press release calling the project a ‘more than $2 billion entertainment destination development.’
The release stated that the first phase of the park would open to the public in the spring of 2025, with the full resort opening its doors in 2026.
‘At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination,’ Wilhite said at the time.
‘The state’s business-friendly approach and innovative partnership efforts have helped make this possible. We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.’
Bicknell was quoted in the release praising the project and was referred to as the ‘American Heartland Founder and Chief Creative Officer.’
Construction began that fall, with promises to create 300 jobs for the Vinita community and attract over 315,000 guests annually, according to a press release shared at the time.
Silanksas and Wilhite even started allegedly using a fake nun named ‘Sister Catherine’ to trick Bicknell into believing he was speaking with the divine.
Eventually, the project ran out of money to pay its vendors and came to a screeching halt.
The lawsuit details the texts and emails Silanskas and White allegedly sent to Bicknell posing as God
The messages allegedly convinced Bicknell to invest millions into the failed park
As the cash installments ramped up, the texts and emails seemingly got more aggressive
The lawsuit alleges that Silankas made around $648,000 from the scheme, and two companies linked to his son cashed in on $224,000 for production work.
Wilhite allegedly made $450,000 while Hendrick cashed in on at least $1.5 million, according to the lawsuit.
Bicknell’s lawyers said that the stress from the ordeal caused him to have a stroke, become isolated from his family members, and damage his business reputation.
Silanskas and White both face charges of racketeering, conspiracy, deceit, fraud, and infliction of emotional distress. Hendrick, Silanksas, and White are also facing a charge of unjust enrichment.
Attorneys for Bicknell declined to comment, and Daily Mail reached out to the defendants’ representation for comment.
