Travel agent says he will
reimburse customers

CORRECTION Tuesday, April 19, 2005 » Former travel agent Wayne Abe entered no-contest pleas to selling worthless airline tickets before Circuit Judge Richard Perkins on Friday. A Page A3 story Saturday incorrectly reported that he pled before Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario. 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.

A former travel agent accused of selling worthless round-trip airline tickets to the West Coast to nearly 200 individuals over six years never intended to scam anyone and intends to pay everyone back, his attorney said.

Wayne Abe, 56, entered no-contest pleas yesterday before Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario to first-degree theft, seven counts of second-degree theft and money laundering. Abe's attorney, Art Indiola, told the court they will be seeking a deferral of his plea.

Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter said he will be "definitely recommending prison."

"He's alleged to have stolen $450,000 from over 100 people, so in our view, that's not the type of conduct that should warrant probation," he said.

But Indiola said he hopes the court will give his client a chance to pay his customers back. Reimbursing them was his goal from the beginning, he said. "He never intended to scam these people, but he was selling tickets too cheap, so he had to keep selling."

Abe ran into financial trouble when other, unrelated business ventures fell through, preventing him from issuing refunds, Indiola said.

The charges stem from two indictments alleging thefts dating back to 1997 and as recently as April 30, 2003. The latest indictment, filed in January, identifies 182 people who were victims of his alleged scam. He was first indicted in December 2003 for failing to provide tickets to seven individuals in a September 2001 transaction.

Abe, whose state travel agent's license was revoked in April 2000, would sell five round-trip mainland tickets for $1,250 cash only -- or $250 apiece -- with the sixth ticket free. Although the first of each batch of tickets sold was legitimate, many times the remaining tickets were invalid, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of trips planned for sports tournaments, business or family reunions.

Abe, who once ran Wayne's Travel, faces a maximum 10-year prison term and a $25,000 fine on the first-degree theft charge. He will be sentenced July 27.