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Travel agent jailed for defrauding clients
Thursday, 11 Jan, 2017
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A travel agent has been given jail time of up to six years for swindling customers out of money paid for vacations.
Nebraska based agent Ella Mae Sculley, operating as Travel Professionals of North Platte, was earlier convicted of pocketing the money of customers and not booking travel, or booking a lower standard vacation than requested and paid for.
In all, 19 customers lost money totaling more than $30,000, Lincoln County Attorney Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling said.
Harling said she had pushed for a prison sentence as it was doubtful Sculley had the means to pay back restitution in full.
Defense attorney Russ Jones said Sculley, who had pleaded no contest, was in financial trouble after surgery, and began to ‘rob Peter to pay Paul.’
The offenses first came to light in February when an elderly couple found their Hawaiian family vacation had not been booked despite paying more than $18,000.
After that, more than a dozen other customers came forward alleging they had also lost money.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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