Sportscaster on Trial for Scamming puts the Blame on Others
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Former Philly Sports Anchor Don Tollefson is taking an old route to defending himself in his scam trial.
He is basically blaming everyone, except himself.
Accused of selling $340,000 in bogus travel packages to sporting events, Tollefson has faulted his addictions, lack of business acumen, and desire to help poor children through his charity.
While sitting on the witness stand, Tollefson named seven people who bought travel packages for a 2013 Super Bowl trip, claiming they contributed to his financial undoing. Tollefson said they demanded to pick their own hotels and flights to New Orleans, a financial blow that sapped his ability to deliver future travel packages he had sold.
One of the people Tollefson blamed, Jim Krasley of Allentown, sued Tollefson over the trip. He claimed Tollefson failed to provide promised airline tickets, forcing him to buy them at the last minute.
In 2014, Krasley won a $3,300 civil judgment against Tollefson in a Montgomery County district court after Tollefson did not appear for the hearing. Krasley is not listed as a victim in the fraud trial.
Tollefson also went over his financial records to show how he spent large chunks of the nearly $1 million he raised for his Winning Ways charity, which benefits poor children. For instance, he said, he spent $75,000 taking a group of kids and others to the 2012 London Olympics.
But Tollefson did not show what happened to the money he got for travel packages he failed to deliver.
The trial is expect to last until the end of the week.
