JACKSON, TN – A West Tennessee woman is facing a lengthy stretch behind bars after being sentenced for systematically ripping off over 100 of her clients. Ronda Hopkins Richards, 55, of Jackson, Tennessee, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced today.
Richards, the owner of Ronda’s Travel Corner, operated a brazen scheme between November 2016 and July 2017, preying on trusting vacationers. She pocketed money intended for trips, sometimes failing to book anything at all. In other instances, she’d secure airfare, then leave clients stranded without pre-paid lodging, leaving families high and dry at their supposed dream destinations.
The scheme came to light after a particularly egregious instance: on June 19, 2017, Richards convinced a client to hand over a $17,172.00 check for a family trip to Disney World, scheduled for March 2018. That trip never materialized. Instead, Richards deposited the funds into her personal account at First South Bank, using the money for her own expenses. The transaction triggered the wire fraud charge, as the funds moved across state lines – from Greenfield Banking Company in Greenfield, TN, through the Federal Reserve Check Clearing Center in Atlanta, GA, and finally to Richards’ account in Jackson.
The total damage? A staggering $410,280.25 stolen from over 100 victims. When confronted by the Jackson Police Department on August 3, 2017, Richards offered a flimsy explanation, claiming she’d “fallen behind” and that things “spiraled out of control.” The court wasn’t buying it. U.S. District Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson handed down the 27-month sentence on August 3, 2018, along with three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Richards was also ordered to pay full restitution of $410,280.25.
“The defendant’s greed and selfishness has victimized countless innocent citizens who trusted her, and she is now being held accountable for her dishonest and fraudulent conduct,” stated U.S. Attorney Dunavant. “Hopefully, this sentence will achieve justice by deterring other similar criminal conduct, and the restitution order will recover the funds stolen from the victims.” The investigation was a joint effort by the Jackson Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor L. Ivy prosecuting the case.
Authorities are urging anyone who believes they were a victim of Ronda’s Travel Corner to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Coordinator at 901-544-4231. This case serves as a stark reminder: when it comes to your hard-earned money, trust – but verify.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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