Owner of Waseca travel agencies accused of defrauding agents

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal indictment accuses the owner of two Minnesota travel agencies of defrauding at least 36 travel agents out of nearly $500,000.

Forty-four-year-old Matthew Schumacher, of Waseca, is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Authorities say Schumacher was the owner and operator of Travel Troops, LLC and Vacation Agent Nation, LLP, which were host travel agencies based in Waseca.

He allegedly offered to provide travel services to independent agents throughout the country in exchange for a monthly fee and promised higher commission rates from airlines, resorts, and cruise companies. Instead, according to the indictment, he kept $484,000 in commission payments owed to the agents.