Police Recommend Charges for Travel Agent Stealing from Customers
Shortgo
Posted On October 17, 2019
The Cheyenne Police Department has submitted an affidavit of probable cause to the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office recommending charges against Brian Box, 48, of Cheyenne, for 25 counts of felony theft, 7 counts of misdemeanor theft, 7 counts of check fraud and 2 counts of credit card fraud.
Box operated a travel agency at the Frontier Mall under the name of Top Travel and The Outdoor Pursuit.
The affidavit describes how in late 2018 and early 2019 Box defrauded 34 of his customers of money totaling over $125,000. CPD investigators determined Box was keeping the deposits for himself and canceling people’s trips while pocketing the refunds. Many of the victims in this case were unaware that their trips had not been scheduled as expected or had been canceled until they contacted the airlines and hotels directly.
A Laramie County warrant was issued for Box in January of 2019 and he was arrested in Wichita Falls, Texas on September 21. Box was extradited to Cheyenne on October 14 and remains in custody at the Laramie County Jail.
While this kind of fraud is rare in our community, the CPD is passing along a few tips from our local travel agents for booking a trip. First of all, choose a reputable travel agent and do your research on the travel agency. Ask questions of people who have used that agency in the past. When booking a trip you should receive an invoice directly from the tour operator, airline, or hotel with which your trip is booked. Before embarking on your trip, you should receive a reminder on your final payment. And always keep in mind that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
