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Exotic locales and credit fraud Ashland travel agent to be indicted By Chris Bristol The owner of a now-defunct Ashland travel agency that booked Irish castles and other exotic lodging for jet-setting tourists is scheduled to appear today before a federal judge on a fraud charge. Katherine D. Driskell has been under investigation since last summer, when police began receiving complaints from dozens of travelers across the country who said they were double-billed for lodging or charged for accommodations they never received and in some cases didn�t even ask for. According to court records, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Thomson last month filed a single count of credit card fraud against Driskell, signaling a deal was finally in the works. The prosecutor, who took over the investigation 11 months ago, declined comment Wednesday. He promised a full accounting of the case after Driskell appears today before U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan, visiting Medford from Eugene. Driskell, 39, closed shop in July 1999 after Ashland police cited her for first-degree aggravated theft. Within days, federal agents from the FBI, the Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service got involved, presumably because many of the alleged victims were from all over the country. A spokesman for the Ashland police in August said up to 80 victims had been identified. Sources close to the investigation have said the theft figure exceeded $200,000. Driskell�s company, Europa-Let Tropical Inn-Let, specialized in booking alternative lodgings in Europe and the Caribbean, ranging from budget-friendly London flats and Greek villas to French chateaus and 14th century Scottish castles that cost more than $30,000 a week. Driskell bought the business in 1994, and in an interview two years ago she boasted that her company was one of the top six "specialty lodging" travel agencies in the country. She said Europa-Let fielded 500 to 2,000 inquiries a week, more than half from people in the eastern U.S. and Europe. Driskell has no criminal history, and authorities have never revealed a motive that would explain her actions. Several victims, as well as at least one employee, sued her in small-claims court. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA