What was pitched as a Disney-sized attraction meant to transform a quiet corner of Oklahoma is now mired in allegations of fraud, manipulation and broken promises.

The sole investor behind the ambitious $2.5 billion American Heartland theme park and resort in Vinita, Oklahoma, says he was manipulated into funding a project that never truly broke ground. In a lawsuit filed July 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, 91-year-old Gene Bicknell — once one of the nation’s largest Pizza Hut franchise owners — accuses the developers of Mansion Entertainment Group of stealing $60 million and emotionally tormenting him into continuing to bankroll the project.

“Silanskas and Wilhite executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation — convincing Gene, 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,” the lawsuit alleges.

The developers — Richard M. Silanskas Jr., Larry K. Wilhite and Stephen D. Hedrick — unveiled plans in 2023 for what they described as an Americana-themed mega-resort, complete with roller coasters, an indoor water park, a 300-room hotel and an RV park sprawling across 1,000 acres. The theme park itself was supposed to rival the size of Disney’s Magic Kingdom or Disneyland Park.

Hedrick publicly confirmed Bicknell’s role as the sole financial backer at the time, according to the suit, which states: “The plan was to use Gene’s money to build the American Heartland Project and then steal it, paying themselves handsomely along the way.” The filing also points out that Silanskas had allegedly left a trail of failed entertainment ventures and empty-pocketed investors before this attempt.

Although the RV park was supposed to open in spring 2025 and the larger theme park by fall 2026, the reality on the ground tells a very different story. The only physical signs of construction so far are a gravel road and a fence, according to the suit.

“The groundbreaking was essentially the beginning and the end of the construction work on the entire Project,” the lawsuit states. It goes further to claim that the hype surrounding the park artificially boosted local land prices, harming small investors and homeowners near Vinita who bet on the promised economic boom.

One of the more disturbing allegations involves text messages and emails the suit claims show Silanskas and Wilhite impersonating messages from God to persuade Bicknell to keep writing checks. The result, Bicknell’s attorneys say, was severe stress that contributed to a stroke last year.

The developers also allegedly misled the public by claiming that the project’s design team included former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers. The suit contends this was fabricated to lend credibility to the venture.

The American Heartland project has already faced legal troubles. Canadian design firm Forrec and Kansas-based Crossland Construction filed lawsuits in 2024 alleging they weren’t paid for work they performed. Bicknell’s suit points to at least five vendor disputes tied to the failed venture so far.

Mansion Entertainment Group did not respond to Construction Dive’s request for comment on the new fraud allegations.

While Vinita still bears the marks of what could have been a game-changing tourist hub, local residents and disappointed investors are left staring at empty land behind a fence — with the only thing booming now being lawsuits.

Originally reported by Julie Strupp in Construction Dive.