San Diego Travel Agent Sentenced for Swindling Families Out of $257K for Pandemic-Axed School Trips

A San Diego travel agent has been put on a home leash for half a year after swindling over 150 families out of their cash for school trips axed by the pandemic. Marie Martin, who hawked East Coast tours for kids, must also serve six months of felony probation and has coughed up nearly $257,000 in restitution, California's top prosecutor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan announced this week.

Martin was raking in money from parents eager for their kids to hit Washington, D.C., and its surrounds—trips planned for 2020 but scrapped when COVID-19 hit town. When the refunds were demanded, Martin played keep-away with the cash—splurging on her own bills and baubles instead, according to reports. "Marie Martin financially took advantage of more than 150 families during an already traumatic and financially challenging time," Bonta said.

Martin's grab-and-dash didn't just hoodwink hardworking parents, it rocked their whippersnappers' chance of a broaden-the-mind experience, Stephan expressed. "This defendant’s disgraceful crimes cheated parents who are working to give their children expanded educational opportunities that would broaden their horizons," Stephan stressed. Together with the AG's office, her Consumer Protection Unit made sure justice was served and the pilfered dough returned.

Investigations unfolded a tale of deceit where Martin, already drowning in cash flow woes before the global health crisis, dunked client funds into her own dwindling pool of resources. Such a ruse left her pockets empty, unable to return the trip fares once the world slammed its doors shut on travelers, the probe found. The state's Seller of Travel program aims to keep such rogue agents in check, and victims of shifty dealmakers are urged to snitch to their local DA or file a complaint with the AG's office.