SCRANTON — Court clerks who staffed the courtroom of Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse undoubtedly earned their pay on Monday.
Eileen Marie Miner, 70, proprietor of Thompson Tours on Atlantic Avenue, West Pittston, pleaded responsible to 38 separate counts of theft in 38 completely different legal instances filed by police departments, detectives and the Pennsylvania State Police at Dunmore in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northampton and Centre counties in 2024 and 2025.
Collectively, Miner was charged with deceiving no less than 38 individuals or {couples} who booked holidays by her journey company.
Ten of the 38 instances are from Luzerne County and have been transferred to Lackawanna County Court.
Those 10 instances have been filed by police departments in Duryea, Edwardsville, Hanover Township, Kingston, Pittston Township, Wyoming Area Regional and Pittston Township.
Below are 5 of the ten instances from Luzerne County:
• A pair from Hanover Township reported they paid Thompson Tours a complete of $2,878 for a five-day Canadian bus journey in October 2024. Just days earlier than the beginning of the journey, Miner despatched an e mail to the couple that their bus journey was canceled and by no means despatched a refund. The couple additional paid for journey insurance coverage that Miner by no means bought.
• A pair from Duryea reported they paid Thompson Tours $2,768 for 2 bus tickets for a visit to New England with a departure date of Oct. 11, 2024. Just a few days earlier than leaving for the journey, Miner despatched an e mail that the journey had been canceled and by no means refunded the cash.
• A person from Edwardsville reported he booked a visit to Germany and Austria for November/December 2024 and made two funds totaling $7,780 in July. When the person discovered Miner had been arrested by Scranton City police, he discovered he had been deceived.
• A lady reported to Wyoming Area Regional Police that she booked a visit to Italy for October 2022 and paid a deposit of $1,200. When the lady wanted to cancel the journey, she requested however by no means acquired a refund.
• A pair filed a criticism with Wyoming Area Regional Police that they paid Miner $7,340 for tour of Switzerland in July 2024 however by no means acquired airline tickets or details about the tour.
Prosecutors in Lackawanna County withdrew a number of counts of misleading enterprise practices, receiving stolen property, legal use of a communication facility, theft and entry system fraud in opposition to Thompson.
Thompson was launched right into a rehabilitative facility after Monday’s courtroom continuing in Lackawanna County Court, in accordance with courtroom information. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.