Deborah Paul Enters Plea in Dodge County Case

Deborah Paul was charged with felony counts related to the failure of Carol's Tours, a Beaver Dam business that coordinated trips for individuals.

MADISON — On October 17, 2012, Deborah Paul entered no contest pleas to two felony counts relating to Theft by Bailee. Ms. Paul had received more than $270,000 in payments for trips from more than 200 customers in 2007. The money was paid to her business Carol's Tours. When the business closed in January 2008, the business had no assets and the customers never were able to go on their trips. Some customers had paid in more than $11,000 for what they had described as their “dream” vacation. Many of them had paid for trip interruption insurance in addition to their trips. The total of payments for the insurance was more than $15,000. None of them had their trip interruption insurance actually paid for.

Ms. Paul entered pleas to the Class G Felony of Theft by Bailee as charged for the actual trips and an amended count of a Class H Felony for the Theft by Bailee charge related to the trip interruption insurance. A presentence investigation was ordered by the court, and sentencing is set for January 18, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.

This case was investigated by the Beaver Dam Police Department, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) -- Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). The State is being represented by Assistant Attorney General Richard J. Dufour.

The DOJ's Office of Crime Victim Services is providing services to the victims.