Preliminary Hearing Held for Former Beaver Dam Business Owner Charged with Two Felonies

MADISON — On February 13, 2012, a preliminary hearing was conducted in the matter of State of Wisconsin v. Deborah Paul. After hearing from a number of witnesses, Judge Andrew Bissonnette found that probable cause existed to believe that Deborah Paul committed a felony.

According to the complaint, Ms. Paul is charged with two felony counts of Theft by Bailee for allegedly converting to her personal use money received by Carol's Tours for trips and for trip interruption insurance. The conversions occurred over a period of time. There is almost $300,000 missing in money paid by the individuals.

An arraignment is set for February 22, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. in Dodge County Circuit Court Branch 3. The defendant is presumed innocent, and the State must prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The State is being represented by Assistant Attorney General Richard J. Dufour. The Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services is providing assistance in this case.

This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Beaver Dam Police Department, and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

The Summons and Criminal Complaint are available at the following link: