Harold Hill
This was the main character of 1957 the musical The Music Man. Hill is a conman who takes money from townspeople with the promise to create a youth band, but intends to abscond with the funds.
Why I Looked It Up
From a news article about someone who promoted a new racetrack and took investments from motorsports enthusiasts without delivering.
They’re asking for thousands of dollars in refunds, and declaring their local organizer a modern Harold Hill