DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Wayne Abe listened to some of his victims in court yesterday as they sought restitution.

Man who sold bogus
tickets gets 10 years

Some of Wayne Abe's victims testify
that he wrecked their lives

CORRECTION Friday, July 29, 2005 » Tamela Young testified about losing $83,000 in a ticket scam by former travel agent Wayne Abe. She was incorrectly identified as Tammy Wong in a Page A1 story yesterday. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

Some customers say they lost a lot more than money when they bought more than $500,000 in worthless airline tickets from a travel agent who was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison.

"It's not so much the money as the lives he's ruined," said Stanley Lum, referring to Wayne Abe, former owner of Wayne's Travel.

Nearly two dozen of the more than 175 victims told Circuit Judge Richard Perkins yesterday about how it is difficult to face family and friends or regain their good reputations after losing their money in the worthless tickets for sports tournaments, family trips and vacations.

Abe, 57, pleaded no contest in April to first-degree theft, seven counts of second-degree theft and money laundering in a ticket scam that stretched back to 1997 and continued until 2003.

Abe's attorney argued for probation, while prosecutors sought 30 years in prison.

Perkins rejected probation, saying Abe's criminal conduct "just went on for too long a period of time, involved too much money and hurt too many people."

Lum, who purchased 25 round-trip tickets for friends and family, has since reimbursed his family, but his friends avoid him, he said.

Lum said he hopes Abe has the gumption "to make this pono," or right, and mend the relationships he has broken.

Tammy Wong, who lost a total of $83,000, wants her family's good name back.

"Money's not the big thing," she said. "The big thing was face when you go to work and see people on the street."

Her family had to forgo their vacation because they were too busy paying others back for the money they lost from purchasing the bogus tickets. "We felt responsible and couldn't see them not enjoying themselves because of what one man had done."

She attended the same church as Abe and was giving him money every Sunday for tickets, believing he was doing good for others by offering tickets at a discounted price.

"Wayne Abe, I forgive you," Wong said. "I just wish you'd change your ways."

Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter said the 175 individuals named as victims in the indictment lost about $329,688 in Abe's scam. That did not include the $185,397 lost by other individuals who filed separate police reports, bringing the total loss to more than a half-million dollars.

Receipts Abe gave to ticket buyers were recovered and showed that between 2000 and 2004 he took in $800,000, Van Marter said.

Abe was interviewed by police in 2001 regarding a transaction, admitting he knew it was wrong and illegal, Van Marter said. Yet he went on to victimize nearly 200 people in the next three years. "It shows a lack of conscience -- flat-out fraud."

He said Abe even used his physical disability -- he walks with a limp and uses a cane -- to get people to trust him. A doctor who gave Abe $1,200 for coupons that she discovered later were worthless wrote to the court saying she purchased them because of his apparent disability.

Abe apologized to everyone he hurt, saying he regrets everything he did. "I never intended to steal from them. I just got carried away."

His attorney, Art Indiola, said Abe's involvement in network marketing in 1996-97 led to a "rash of bad decisions that snowballed out of control."

Knowing it will be difficult, Abe said he intends to pay everyone back and already has lined up some job offers that he hopes will come through once he gets out so he can begin paying restitution.

Perkins told the victims in the courtroom that he had no problem finding that Abe owes them money, but his records show he cannot afford to pay it. Perkins ordered a separate hearing be held to give the prosecutor a chance to come up with a plan of restitution that makes sense and is realistic.

Daniel Peters of Kunia had to take out a loan to repay the money lost by 40 family members and friends who purchased coupons for a trip to Las Vegas. It had taken the group seven years to save up for the trip only to learn at the last minute that the tickets were no good. He still has two years to pay off the $10,000 loan, and his girlfriend took a second job to help him.

"I wanted restitution," Peters said after the hearing. But with Abe not likely to be getting out of prison any time soon, "I don't think anybody will get their money back."