January 21, 2015
Handout/for PhillyVoice
Former sportscaster Don Tollefson is defending himself in court against fraud charges.
A Bucks County jury convicted former sportscaster Don Tollefson Wednesday on all five charges that ranged from money laundering to theft, according to CBS Philly.
Tollefson, 62, was accused of selling sports packages through his charity that in effect stole about $340,000 from hundreds of buyers.
At trial, Tollefsen represented himself and maintained his innocence saying that he intended to pay the buyers back.
In his closing argument, Tollefsen told the jury:
"I, Don Tollefson, caused what happened to happen," he said. "As I look at the timeline of what happened ... it is that of a person who had every intention to deliver."
Matt Weintraub, Bucks County's chief of prosecution, had told the jury that Tollefson's actions represented a "pyramid" and "Ponzi scheme" for his personal, financial gain, according to the Doylestown Intelligencer.
Not only didn't they get their trips, the charities got nothing," the prosecutor argued. "In some cases, charities lost money as a result of the defendant's thievery."
