Former Agent Sentenced In $240,000 Travel Rip-Off Gets 5-Year Prison Term For Not Following Through On Paid Trips

Sun., Dec. 7, 1997

Associated Press

A 76-year-old former travel operator has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for taking more than $240,000 from customers and then not providing them the trips they paid for.

Delores Wyman Saas was found guilty in September of 34 counts of theft.

Her attorney, Ralph Anderson, on Friday asked King County Superior Court Judge Donald Haley for only a year behind bars because of Saas’ age.

But Haley, who is 65, said Saas’ age was not an appropriate factor in her sentencing.

The judge also refused to let six of Saas’ friends speak on her behalf before sentencing. He permitted victims to speak, but the two who were in court declined.

Saas had been accused of stealing money from nearly 100 travelers from early 1990 through the spring of 1993, while she operated Moment’s Notice, a travel agency.

Saas deposited customers’ money into one account that she also used for business and personal expenses. She’d routinely withdraw the money for personal uses, prosecutors said, and made monthly withdrawals of $2,000 to pay restitution for a previous criminal conviction.

Anderson had argued during trial that she was simply a “goofy old lady” and not a thief.

Haley ordered that 50 percent of Saas’ monthly income while she is in prison go toward restitution to consumers and that she pay a $100 victim-penalty assessment. In addition, he said, Saas cannot work in any travel-related industries.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.