A travel agent is sitting behind bars, accused of scamming more than a hundred Florida high school students with a fake Eurotrip. In total, it is alleged that the man stole around $400K.
The case was reported on by Inside Edition. The man, identified as Robert Goodwin, allegedly had 104 Seabreeze High School students sign up for a trip to Greece and Italy. Each of them reportedly paid at least $3,500 for the intercontinental trip, hoping to see the wonders of the Mediterranean.
However, one month before they were to embark on the trip of their lives, the students received a troubling email. Reportedly, Goodwin’s agency was shutting down, effectively canceling the planned trip. They, however, never got any refund from Goodwin’s now-defunct organization, authorities alleged.
“I was super excited for this trip,” one student told the outlet. “We’re about to go on it, and then it was kind of a blindside hit. Like, we’re not going on this trip anymore.”
The students and even the local sheriff waited for Goodwin to arrive at Daytona Beach International Airport in Daytona Beach, Florida, to confront him. He had been extradited from California.
Signs were made, Goodwin was booed, and even the sheriff told him he had “screwed over” the students. The travel agent, however, remained calm and even unconcerned.
Man Charged, Reactions
As reported by Fox 35, Goodwin was charged with two counts of organized scheme to defraud less than $50,000 and two counts of grand theft over $100,000. He remains in jail on a $4 million bond. If convicted, Goodwing could spend decades behind bars, or even the rest of his life.
Users online reacted to the travel agent’s alleged actions by blasting him online. To them, defrauding innocent Florida high schoolers is an unforgivable offense.
“Send him to jail forever,” one user commented. Another one said, “Public shame is so back.” A third one added, “How he keeps shrugging his shoulders while talking is saying: I don’t care.”
Hopefully, each of the 104 students and their families will find justice after being allegedly defrauded by the sketchy travel agent.
