Cibolo businessman indicted for travel agency scam

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A Cibolo businessman is facing federal charges for his role in a scheme to rip off high school students.

45 year old George Alberto Barragan owned and operated several travel agencies with the names EB Worldwide, Exhibit Tours and Senior Grad Trips.

Victims included high school seniors who would pay thousands of dollars to have Barragan to arrange a vacation to celebrate their high school graduations.

An indictment claims that after receiving payment, Barragan would send itineraries to victims.

He would later cancel the reservations and keep the refunds but didn’t tell his customers that the trip wasn’t going to happen. In two instances, he’s accused of keeping up the charade right up until the groups arrived to start their vacations. That’s when they would find out the reservations had been canceled.

He apparently pulled off this scheme on six different high school groups to the tune of $160,000.

Barragan faces up to a mandatory two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the remaining mail and wire fraud charges.

He was released on bond on Tuesday.