A key investor in the would-be giant theme park in north Alabama has pleaded guilty to fraud and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Bryan Kevin Robinson pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lauderdale County circuit court to one count of securities fraud for engaging in a business that "operated as fraud or deceit upon more than 40 Alabama investors," a statement from District Attorney Chris Connolly and Joseph Borg, director of the Alabama Securities Commission.

Robinson was part of a dazzling promotion of DreamVision - a theme park more than 10 times the size of Disney World's Magic Kingdom promising 20,000 jobs - that was planned for the Shoals area in northwest Alabama. Beyond the announcement, which culminated in a Feb. 11, 2015 unveiling in Florence, plans for the park never came to fruition.

A similar failed plan was unveiled simultaneously in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Robinson was described as the key benefactor to financing DreamVision, company CEO Rick Silanskas said in 2015.

In addition to the prison term, Robinson has been ordered to pay more than $7 million in restitution to the victims in the case as well as court costs.

According to the statement of Robinson's guilty plea, the state Securities Commission's action started with a cease and desist order against Robinson and his company, Robinson Capital Investments, LLC for selling unregistered securities in a real estate program. That investigation led to the discovery of investments into other ventures, including the theme park.

Investors were told that their funds would be used to finance a specific investment, the statement said, but instead Robinson diverted the funds to personal expenses or other investments not related to the stated purposes. He then used some of the funds to make Ponzi style payments to earlier investors.

Robinson's actions ultimately resulted in a total loss to the victims of $7,017,790.33, according to the statement.

"Bryan Robinson engaged in a course of business which operated as a fraud upon Alabama investors," Borg said in the statement. "Robinson sought to profit by stealing millions of dollars from over 40 Alabama investors who trusted him with their life savings; this conduct will not be tolerated in Alabama."