Alaskan Cannabis Theme Park Creator Exposed as Fraudster
A 53-year-old resident of Alaska, Brian Corti, who set out to create a cannabis-themed amusement park, has been exposed as a fraudster and has paid the price for his scam.
Investors in the Cannabis Industry Lost Tens of Millions of Rubles
Corti invited anyone interested to buy shares in his company, Ice Fog Holdings, to help finance the cannabis-themed park called Bud and Breakfast. He claimed that the resort, located 30 miles from Fairbanks in central Alaska, would cultivate, process, and sell cannabis. Guests would be allowed to smoke marijuana in rooms with glass ceilings and enjoy views of the Northern Lights at night.
Brian promised investors huge returns. He claimed that in the first year, the park would generate $4 million in profit (364.4 million rubles), $13 million in the second year (1.2 billion rubles), and $23 million in the third year (2 billion rubles). Twenty-two people believed him and invested over $600,000 (54.7 million rubles) in the project between 2017 and 2020.
Funds Were Spent on Personal Expenses
Instead of using the funds to build the resort, Corti spent the money on personal needs and paying off debts. FBI Special Agent Rebecca Day commented on the fraud: “Corti lured investors by promising prosperity and guaranteed income. In reality, he used the money from investors to cover his personal expenses. Anyone who runs fraudulent schemes and enriches themselves at the expense of others will be held accountable.”
The Cannabis Scammer Faces Prison and a Fine
When investors realized Corti was deceiving them and had no intention of opening the theme park, they contacted the police. Law enforcement charged him with fraud. Brian did not deny the charges and, in January 2024, confessed to the crime. On May 3, the court sentenced him to two years in prison and a fine of $580,000 (52.8 million rubles). During the hearings, the prosecutor expressed surprise that anyone could believe a cannabis resort in Alaska would generate such enormous profits.
Brian insists that he initially had sincere intentions to create the theme park and calls his project an unfulfilled dream. According to his vision, visitors would have been able to use cannabis, enjoy good food, stay in comfortable accommodations, and experience the breathtaking nature of Alaska, where recreational cannabis was legalized in 2014.