Travel agent accused of $400K Florida school trip scam located in California

Travel agent accused of $400K school trip scam located

New details have emerged about a travel agent accused of defrauding Seabreeze High School students, teachers, and chaperones out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a European trip that never happened.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - New details have emerged about a travel agent accused of defrauding Seabreeze High School students, teachers, and chaperones out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a European trip that never happened.

The planned school trip fell apart just days before departure.

What we know:

A Massachusetts-based travel agent, Robert Goodwin, 56, is accused of defrauding Seabreeze High School students, teachers, and chaperones out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a European trip that never occurred. 

The trip was canceled just days before departure, and each participant had paid more than $3,500, according to investigators. While the families impacted were from the school, the trip was not sponsored by Volusia County Schools or the school. 

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Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said investigators have located Goodwin in California and plan to extradite him back to Florida. 

The Florida Attorney General’s Office said Goodwin scammed students and chaperones nationwide out of more than $400,000.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not released the exact date Goodwin will be extradited or when formal charges will be filed in Florida. Details about other potential victims or the full scope of the fraud remain unclear.

What they're saying:

Stone and Compass Travel abruptly canceled the trip days before the students’ planned departure, leaving families and school officials shocked. Goodwin disappeared after the cancellation, prompting a coordinated investigation with California authorities.

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"We’re tracking somebody right now in California who defrauded 104 of our Seabreeze students out of big money with a promise of a school trip," Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. "He’s coming down that golden staircase when California authorities get their hands on him, and we extradite him back here."