A 91-year-old Oklahoma native is claiming that he fell victim to a fraud that cost him $60 million. Bicknell suffered the loss when he decided to invest the money in the American Heartland Theme Park located at Vinitia, Oklahoma.
Gene Bicknell is suing the leaders of the American Heartland Theme Park for orchestrating “a campaign of deception to defraud.” The Oklahoma native is alleging that Richard M. Silanskas Jr. and Larry K. Wilhite “coerced” him into investing the massive chunk of money that went into the design and construction of the theme park.
In the lawsuit now filed in federal court, the 91-year-old claims that he fell victim to a “predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation.” The businessman claims that the leaders led him to believe that “God himself was commanding” him to invest in the park.
“A trail of victims—foremost among them Gene Bicknell, as well as the citizenry of northeast Oklahoma,” the lawsuit claims. The court documents obtained by People accuse the leaders of crushing the people’s “hopes for an economic renaissance.”
It further details how the hopes of the theme park’s leaders were “falsely raised and cruelly dashed.” The leaders had claimed that they would build a 125-acre theme park at the site.
They also claimed that the theme park would boost the economy of the region. The leaders claimed that the park would lead to 4,000 job opportunities being created.
The was never going to happen American Heartland Park, was apparently mandated by God. 🤣https://t.co/OjjTYXV0T4 pic.twitter.com/OqK2CJ3PGR
— News Bison🦬 (@okcreports) July 26, 2025
Currently, the park is far from being built. According to reports, the park’s website isn’t even in operation. The lawsuit filed by Bicknell claims that leaders “constructed nothing more than a fence and a gravel road.”
The 91-year-old is accusing the park leaders of deceiving him into investing in the park’s construction. Wilhite and Silanskas allegedly impersonated god in order to manipulate Bicknell.
Bicknell claims that the two men impersonated god and religious figures while using texts and emails as a medium to talk to him. “Trust them completely and avoid inserting any distractions or doubtful questions,” one message read.
Two years since the American Heartland theme park was announced, the investor behind the project is suing the developers in federal court, accusing them of racketeering and fraud.
https://t.co/R1QcbFOHUR— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) July 29, 2025
The lawsuit mentions how the leaders of the theme park “intentionally targeted” the 91-year-old with full knowledge of the fact that he was a devout Christian. The lawsuit also accused the two men of “impersonating Gene without his authorization.”
Wilhite and Silanskas are also being accused of signing documents on behalf of Bicknell without his permission or knowledge. The lawsuit accuses these two men of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, civil conspiracy, fraud, deceit, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
