An Atlanta-based travel agent has been sentenced to 13 months in prison after admitting to defrauding clients, including individuals and educational institutions, by taking payments for travel services he never provided.
Court records show that Maurice Eugene Smith, 45, ran a luxury travel company called EUGENE TORIKO LLC from at least September 2022 through November 2024. The company offered customized travel planning services but failed to deliver on its promises. Instead of securing reservations for his clients, Smith used their payments for personal expenses and refunded earlier customers.
Clients paid thousands of dollars for trips to destinations such as St. Lucia, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Guatemala. However, many learned only shortly before or upon arrival that their accommodations had not been paid for. Some were able to recover their money through credit card companies or travel insurance.
Two university sports programs and a college were also among the victims. A university baseball team had to arrange alternative transportation after Smith did not use their payment to purchase airline tickets as promised. In another instance, a college booked a trip to Thailand but found that only one-way tickets had been purchased for faculty and students; return flights had to be covered out-of-pocket before being reimbursed by the college.
A third-party sports event marketing company arranged travel for a university men's basketball team using funds from the university's foundation. The arrangements included round-trip airfare from Virginia to the Bahamas and hotel accommodations. The foundation transferred over $100,000 through the marketing company to EUGENE TORIKO LLC. Despite making flight and hotel reservations on paper, Smith made no legitimate payments toward these costs. As a result, both airline and resort reservations were canceled.
According to officials: "Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles."
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood.
Additional details about this case can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents are available on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER under Case No. 1:25-cr-73.
