VINITA, Okla. — The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort in Eastern Oklahoma promised a thrilling, family-friendly experience off of historic Route 66 in Vinita, Oklahoma , but a recent lawsuit implies that the project has gone off the rails.

A lawsuit filed on July 25, 2025, alleges that American Heartland officials, Richard Silanskas, Larry Wilhite, and Stephen Hedrick, worked together to defraud O. Gene Bicknell, a 91-year-old man, out of over $60 million in investment money.

Bicknell's lawyers claim that Silanskas, Wilhite, and Hedrick "operated a criminal enterprise that defrauded Bicknell and duped him into sinking his remaining fortune" into the theme park's development.

Wilhite and Silanskas "executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation — convincing Bicknell

See Full Page