West Virginia Travel Agent Charged with 32 Counts in Fraud Investigation
Michelle Pauley-LaMaster, a 47-year-old travel agent from Charleston, West Virginia, is facing 32 charges following an extensive fraud investigation. The charges include grand larceny, fraudulent schemes, computer fraud, use of an unauthorized access device, obtaining goods by false pretenses, and writing worthless checks. West Virginia State Police initiated the investigation after receiving multiple reports of unauthorized credit card charges and issues with customer payments related to LaMaster Travel LLP. A criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court details several instances where customers allegedly lost thousands of dollars on vacation packages to destinations such as Aruba, Jamaica, and Norway, with no confirmation provided for airfare or lodging after payment. In one case, LaMaster is accused of writing a bad check to cover a refund of over $6,000 in unauthorized charges for a Disney vacation. Authorities believe there may be additional victims, and further charges could be filed. ...