NC travel agent gets 2 years for taking money

CHARLOTTE — The owner of a Mooresville travel agency has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to repay more than $450,000 to hundreds of clients after admitting he took their money and didn’t book their trips.

The Charlotte Observer reports 42-year-old Steve Young was sentenced in federal court Monday. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud and tax evasion charges.

Prosecutors say Young took money to book dream trips to Vatican City, Las Vegas, Hawaii and other destinations and never made the arrangements. Most of the victims were senior citizens.

Young apologized and took responsibility for his actions.

The IRS will get about $64,000 of the $528,000 Young was ordered to pay as restitution, with the 400 victims getting the rest.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)