TORONTO — On January 26, 2016 TICO’s Board of Directors approved payment of $16,663.19 to assist 21 consumers who were at risk of not receiving the travel services for which they had paid. The payment was due to the closure of Blue Mountain Travel in Toronto ($5,805.04); SkyGreece Airlines S.A. ($2,950.15); Aerosvit Airlines in Ukraine ($2,308) and Smartchoice Travel in Scarborough ($5,600).

The first court appearance for Placido Calore, a director and shareholder of Blue Mountain Travel, is scheduled for March 3 at 9 a.m. at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.

Calore and 407488 Ontario Ltd. o/a Business & Vacation Travel Planners and Blue Mountain Travel (Blue Mountain Travel) were each charged with four counts of failing to deposit customer payments received for travel services into the trust account of the registrant, contrary to section 27(3) of Ontario Regulation 26/05 made under the Travel Industry Act, 2002.

Blue Mountain Travel voluntarily terminated its registration effective July 31, 2015. Blue Mountain Travel operated in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.

Calore and Blue Mountain Travel were previously charged with 23 counts of failing to deposit funds into the trust account contrary to section 27(3) of the Regulation.

Also with Blue Mountain Travel, Carolyn (Michelle) Solomon and 1924067 Ontario Inc. o/a Blue Mountain Travel were each charged with two counts of operating as a travel agent without registration contrary to section 4(1) (a) of the Travel Industry Act, 2002.

Solomon was a sole director and officer of 1924067 Ontario Inc., which has never been registered as a travel agent under the Act. Carolyn Solomon and 1924067 Ontario Inc. operated in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.

Solomon has been previously charged with eight counts of operating as a travel agent without registration. 1924067 Ontario Inc. has been previously charged with two counts of operating as a travel agent without registration.

Solomon’s first court appearance is scheduled for March 3 as well.

In other news, following a guilty plea, Judy Jackson was convicted of five counts of operating as a travel agent without registration, contrary to section 4(1) (a) of the Travel Industry Act, 2002.

Jackson was sentenced as follows:

Count No. 1: Fine in the amount of $5,000 plus Victim Surcharge Fee, for a total of $6,250, payable over a period of 24 months;

Count No. 2: Probation Order for two years with the following conditions, in addition to the statutory conditions outlined in section 72 of the POA:

a. The Defendant is not to be employed in the travel industry in any capacity, where she handles customer funds, credit cards or other modes of customer payment.

b. Prior to accepting a job in the travel industry, the Defendant is to inform the prospective employer of her conviction under the TIA.

Count No. 3: Free Standing Restitution Order, payable to the travel agent that employed Ms. Jackson as an OSR, in the amount of $5,847.50;

Count No. 4 & 5: Suspended Sentence;

Pre-sentence Resolution – As part of the pre-sentence settlement resolution, Jackson reimbursed consumers a total of $2,080. Jackson operated in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.