Travel agent arrested, felony charges

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) - A North Smithfield travel agent is arrested and charged for taking customers money, but never booking their trips.

You know how excited you get right before your big vacation. But imagine the outrage, when you find out your travel agent never booked your trip! It happened to a number of people, and authorities say, there are probably even more.

Scott and Amy Hingley of Pascoag can't believe it.

"I don't understand how this could happen."

Holly Orlando of North Smithfield can't believe it either.

"I'm in North Smithfield and I should be in Florida with my daughter."

All three of them are supposed to be on their vacations. But instead, they're chasing down their travel agent who they say, took their money, but never booked their trips.

"She called Wednesday and I was expecting an itinerary, but instead she told me the vacation was cancelled," said Orlando.

They've all been trying to reach the owner of Travelin' Time, Barbara Lavergne. But her store is now closed. And she is not returning calls. No one answered the door at Lavergne's home in Burrillville.

The travel agent may not be responding to her customers, but she will have to respond to authorities. That's because the attorney general now has her case and she's been charged with two felony counts.

While authorities investigate these latest complaints, Barbara Lavergne has already been arrested and charged in two other cases. She was charged with obtaining money under false pretenses totaling close to $10,000 dollars.

"What we are looking for is to make these people whole. You can't run with their money and if you do we and the police will find you and we have," said A.G. Patrick Lynch.

Lynch says there are 9 complaints in all and he expects even more. If you have a trip booked with this company, you should contact the attorney general's office to file a formal complaint.

In the meantime, Barbara Lavergne is due in court next week.