College Basketball's Fyre Fest: An Atlanta Travel Agent Was Arrested For Scamming The George Mason Hoops Team Out Of A Trip To The Bahamas

[Source] - A travel agent accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that resulted in George Mason’s failed trip to The Bahamas has been arrested.Federal prosecutors believe that Maurice Eugene Smith, 44, of Atlanta, made numerous reservations for flights and lodging but did not spend any money to secure them, despite the fact that George Mason officials had already paid nearly $160,000 to do so.

Between April and May 2024, the GMU Foundation paid the money to the The VII Group, a sports event marketing company. The VII Group then wired the money to a bank account owned by Eugene Toriko LLC, a travel agency that employed Smith, according to prosecutors.

Smith, who has been charged with wire fraud, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

As of Thursday, the George Mason University Foundation had not been reimbursed for any of the payments that it made, according to prosecutors.

We're finally getting some fallout and answers to college basketball's Fyre Fest from this summer: 

I still can't get over this story. It's not like George Mason is some no name school. We all remember them from the 2006 Final Four run. We can make fun of the A-10, but it's not like they are playing in the MAAC (no offense to the Siena's of the world). Imagine showing up to your flight and just nothing is there. Brutal. Getting to the airport sucks. You typically delay packing and then stuff everything in a suitcase before throwing it on your scale like that's going to work. Everyone is on high alert because traveling, especially with other people, is never easy. Then you get to the airport, all jacked up for a trip to the Bahamas, and nothing is there. Brutal. 

Not to mention there were actual fans in the Bahamas waiting for the games to start. Packages were sold and everything. On the other hand, how do these people think they'll get away with it? Feel like every scammer gets caught, turned into a documentary and morons start defending them. It's just how the world works these days I guess.