Man Admits Posing as God to Con Theme Park Investor Out of Millions
A former Branson entertainment executive has admitted under oath that he wrote fake messages posing as God and a nun to manipulate a 91-year-old investor into funding a failed $2 billion Oklahoma theme park.
Richard "Rick" Silanskas Jr. made the admission during a June 16 deposition in a federal lawsuit filed by O. Gene Bicknell, the former Pizza Hut franchise mogul who sank more than $60 million into the proposed American Heartland Theme Park in Vinita, Oklahoma. Bicknell sued Silanskas, business partner Larry Wilhite, and associate Stephen Hedrick in July 2025, accusing them of using religion to manipulate him into bankrolling the project.
How the Scheme Worked
According to the lawsuit, Silanskas and Wilhite began sending Bicknell near-daily electronic messages starting in 2022 that were styled to look as though they came directly from God. The messages, titled "Today's Word," pushed Bicknell to keep funding the theme park's construction and to trust the two men completely with its management. Later messages were signed by a fictional nun named "Sister Catherine."
The lawsuit alleges the men convinced Bicknell that God himself was commanding him to finance the park and eventually hand over two-thirds ownership of the completed venture, which was projected to be worth $2 billion. The American Heartland project was pitched as a Disney-scale attraction along Route 66, with plans for a 125-acre theme park, a 750-space RV campground, a 300-room hotel, and an indoor water park. By the time Bicknell filed suit, the site had little more than a gravel road and a fence to show for the investment.
Silanskas Admits Authorship Under Oath
Silanskas had initially denied writing the religious messages during an earlier deposition in February 2026. He reversed course in June, acknowledging he authored both the "Today's Word" emails and the "Sister Catherine" correspondence, and admitted he had lied under oath in his previous testimony.
Silanskas told attorneys he wrote the messages out of fear of Bicknell. "I shouldn't have done it," Silanskas said in the deposition. "But the reality is, he demanded it, and then would threaten me." He also testified that Bicknell once warned him, "You will forever regret the day you do that to me," and invoked "The Godfather" during the exchange.
Attorneys representing Wilhite responded to the admission by distancing their client from the scheme. According to court filings, Wilhite's legal team said it never entered his mind to harm or defraud Bicknell and that Wilhite believed in the American Heartland project as a viable venture. His attorneys added that he is saddened for Bicknell and wishes him well.
A Pattern of Failed Theme Parks
Bicknell's lawsuit accuses the men of racketeering, civil conspiracy, fraud, deceit, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and unjust enrichment, and includes claims under the federal RICO Act. Court documents allege the relationship began years earlier, after Bicknell invested in the Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts in Branson, Missouri, where Wilhite worked as a local preacher before taking over management. Silanskas was later introduced to Bicknell through that connection.
The lawsuit also points to a history of failed theme parks tied to Silanskas. He previously served as chief executive of a company called DreamVision, which announced plans in 2015 to build multibillion-dollar theme parks in Fort Worth, Texas, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Neither project was completed, and a former business partner connected to those ventures was later sentenced to prison on securities fraud charges tied to defrauded investors.
Separately, federal filings from January 2026 accused Silanskas of using generative AI to draft court filings in the case, which prompted a judicial warning about fabricated legal citations and the possibility of sanctions.
Bicknell's attorneys say the case is ongoing as they continue to seek documents and testimony tied to the alleged scheme. Bicknell has said the ordeal cost him his health as well as his fortune, and the lawsuit states he suffered a stroke in 2024 amid the fallout.
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