Travel Agent Arrested for Defrauding George Mason Basketball Team of $160,000 Bahamas Trip

Maurice Eugene Smith faces wire fraud charges after allegedly misusing funds meant for team travel and accommodations, leaving players and fans stranded.

Maurice Eugene Smith, an Atlanta-based travel agent, has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly orchestrating a sham travel arrangement for George Mason University's men's basketball team.
Smith is accused of misusing $159,756 paid by the George Mason University Foundation for a planned trip to the Bahamas in August 2024, including using some of the funds for personal travel to Mexico and Panama.
The VII Group, a sports event marketing company that contracted Smith for the trip, sent over $109,000 to Smith's agency, Eugene Toriko LLC, but none of the reservations for flights or lodging were paid for despite claims otherwise.
The FBI's investigation revealed Smith continued to communicate false updates about the trip's logistics up until three days before the scheduled departure, leaving the team and fans without accommodations or refunds.
If convicted, Smith faces up to 20 years in prison, and the George Mason University Foundation has yet to recover any of the funds lost in the alleged scheme.

U.S. Department of Justice