discovery tours sentencing

Former VP of school trip company sentenced for defrauding thousands of Ohio families

When Discovery Tours abruptly closed and filed for bankruptcy in 2018, the charter tour bus firm's trips for school students across Ohio to Washington, D.C. and other places were abruptly canceled, and more than 5,000 families who prepaid for their trips lost their money.

Victims of the Cleveland-area company's collapse included families of students in Olentangy , Columbus City and Hilliard school districts, The Dispatch previously reported.

On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Barker in Cleveland sentenced Joseph Cipolletti, former vice president of Discovery Tours, to prison for five years.

Cipolletti, 49, of Hudson, pleaded guilty  in federal court last June to 18 charges related to embezzling from the company and defrauding grade-school and high-school students, parents and schools. The charges included wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and lying under oath.

Federal prosecutors said that as vice president of the family-run tour bus business, Cipoletti diverted money paid by families for educational trips and used the funds for personal expenses like home renovations and vehicles.

Barker has not yet ruled how much Cipolletti will have to pay in restitution, but federal prosecutors are asking for $1.5 million.

More: Former executive at bus tour company pleads guilty to embezzling funds from school trips

When Cipoletti was indicted, federal prosecutors accused him of embezzling a little more than $600,000. Over the course of the case, prosecutors discovered he embezzled even more.

As part of a plea bargain, Cipoletti and prosecutors agreed to "cap" the amount he embezzled at $1.5 million, according to court documents.

Brian R. McGraw, Cipoletti's defense attorney, said in court documents that Cipoletti's bookkeeping was sloppy and he tried to hide his compensation for tax purposes, but he did not steal that much. McGraw said Cipoletti often was forced to put his own money into the business, which he never got back.

"Joe Cipolletti is most sorry for the personal and emotional loss that each family experienced as a result of his criminal conduct," McGraw said in court documents.

Local districts impacted

Discovery Tours Inc. offered educational trips for students to destinations such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. These trips were via charter bus and included transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, sightseeing admissions and security.

After Discovery Tours filed for bankruptcy in May 2018, a planned May trip to Washington, D.C. for eighth-graders at Olentangy Orange Middle School was put in jeopardy. The trip was salvaged with donations from the teachers' scholarship fund and the Olentangy Orange High School Senior Class of 2018.

Families of 74 Columbus City Schools' Ridgeview Middle School students had already paid Discovery Tours more than $51,000 for a May trip to Chicago that year. Prime Tours based in Dublin agreed to handle the trip at a discounted rate. Donors, including local unions, contributed thousands of dollars to save the trip.

Families of some Hilliard middle-school students had already paid their $325 deposits to Discovery Tours for a D.C. trip planned for October 2018.

The Dispatch's Gannett sister paper, The Akron Beacon Journal, contributed to this report.

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Former Vice President of Discovery Tours Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering

The former Vice President of Discovery Tours Inc., a business located in Mayfield Village, Ohio, that offered educational trips for grade school and high school students, pleaded guilty in federal court today to devising a scheme to take payments for trips and then using the funds for personal expenses.

Joseph A. Cipolletti, 47, of Hudson, Ohio, pleaded guilty to an 18-count indictment that charged him with wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and false statement under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

According to court documents, Cipolletti was employed as Vice President of Discovery Tours, Inc., a business that offered educational trips for students to destinations such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, New York City, New York, Columbus, Ohio, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Court documents state that as Vice President, Cipolletti managed the organization’s finances, general ledger entries, accounts payable and accounts receivable.  Cipolletti also had signature authority on Discovery Tours’ business bank accounts.

Court documents state that from June 2014 to May 2018, Cipolletti, as Vice President, devised a scheme to defraud parents and other student trip purchasers by diverting payments intended for these trips to his own personal use on items such as home renovations and vehicles.

As a result of Cipolletti’s actions and subsequent attempts to cover up the scheme, in May 2018, Discovery Tours abruptly ended operations and filed for bankruptcy.  Student trips to Washington, D.C. were canceled for dozens of schools across Ohio and more than 5,000 families lost the money they had previously paid for trip fees.

In addition, on December 10, 2018, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Cipolletti knowingly made statements under oath in and in relation to his organization’s bankruptcy status.  Cipolletti claimed that he did not owe his business any money when, in fact, and as he then knew, he had embezzled more than $600,000 from his place of business and made false entries in the general ledger.

The total amount of loss will be determined by the Court at sentencing.

Cipolletti is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2022.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Summit County, Geauga County, and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Offices for their cooperation with this matter.

Daniel Ball [email protected]

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Head of defunct Discovery Tours sentenced to five years in federal prison

The vice president of a now-defunct tour company has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of numerous federal charges .

Joseph A Cipolletti, the president of Discovery Tours, pleaded guilty in June in federal court in Cleveland to wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and making a false statement.

U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Barker sentenced Cipolletti, 48, of Hudson, to five years in prison Thursday.

Federal prosecutors say Cipolletti's victims were families across Ohio who bought prepaid school field trips and then weren't able to go. Akron-area districts that had booked trips with the agency include Hudson, Twinsburg and Perry.

Discovery Tours Inc., based in Mayfield Heights, offered educational trips for grade school and high school students to destinations such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, New York City, Columbus and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. These trips were via bus and included transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, sightseeing admissions, and security.

From June 2014 to May 2018, prosecutors say Cipolletti diverted payments intended for these trips for personal use, such as home renovations and vehicles. Overall, he is accused of embezzling $609,942.

More: Discovery Tours files for bankruptcy

Discovery Tours abruptly closed in May 2018 and filed for bankruptcy. Trips were canceled for dozens of schools across Ohio and more than 5,000 families lost the money they had paid for trip fees.

Former Discovery Tours VP convicted of fraud, money laundering

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The former vice president of Discovery Tours Inc. pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to a total of 18 counts; including, wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and false statement under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Discovery Tours Inc., located in Mayfield Village, offered educational trips for grade school and high school students.

Joseph Cipolletti, 47, of Hudson, devised a scheme to take payments for trips and then used the funds for his own personal expenses.

Court documents show Cipolletti defrauded trip purchasers from June 2014 to May 2018.

According to officials, Cipolleti then used the stolen money for home renovations and vehicles.

In May 2018, Discovery Tours ended operations and filed for bankruptcy, leading to dozens of cancelled school trips.

And, court officials added, more than 5,000 families lost the money they had paid for those trips.

Cipolletti is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29. A total amount of loss will be determined at sentencing.

Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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Former VP of Discovery Tours sentenced to 5 years in prison for fraud, money laundering

Joseph A. Cipolletti, 48, of Hudson, Ohio, was sentenced recently to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty to an 18-count indictment that charged him with wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and false statements under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

“This defendant abused his position of trust by embezzling from $550,000 and $1.5 million from his family’s student travel company for his personal use,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Student trips to Washington, D.C. were canceled for dozens of schools across Ohio and more than 5,000 families lost the money they had previously paid for trip fees. Today’s five-year prison sentence reflects his reprehensible conduct.”

“Bilking customers in any line of business is appalling, and more so, as a business executive entrusted to provide memorable educational experiences for children and teens,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Today’s sentence reflects the comprehensive investigative work of the FBI, and together with our federal, state and local partners, highlights our commitment to uncover corrupt business dealings.”

According to court documents, Cipolletti was employed as Vice President of Discovery Tours, Inc., a business that offered educational trips for students to destinations such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Ill., New York City, N.Y., Columbus, Ohio and Gettysburg, Pa.

Court documents state that as vice president, Cipolletti managed the organization’s finances, general ledger entries, accounts payable and accounts receivable. Cipolletti also had signature authority on Discovery Tours’ business bank accounts.

Court documents state that from June 2014 to May 2018, Cipolletti, as Vice President, devised a scheme to defraud parents and other student trip purchasers by diverting payments intended for these trips to his own personal use on items such as home renovations and vehicles.

As a result of Cipolletti’s actions and subsequent attempts to cover up the scheme, in May 2018, Discovery Tours abruptly ended operations and filed for bankruptcy.

In addition, on Dec. 10, 2018, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Cipolletti knowingly made statements under oath in and in relation to his organization’s bankruptcy status. Cipolletti claimed that he did not owe his business any money when, in fact, and as he then knew, he had embezzled from his place of business and made false entries in the general ledger.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough.

Fox 8 Cleveland WJW

Discovery Tours operator who embezzled $1.5M sentenced to prison

by: Darcie Loreno , Jack Shea

Posted: Apr 20, 2023 / 04:50 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 20, 2023 / 04:59 PM EDT

CLEVELAND (WJW) — The man accused of stealing thousands of dollars in field trip money from kids across the state and embezzling $1.5 million from his family’s company is facing five years in prison.

Federal Judge Pamela Barker on Thursday, April 20, sentenced 48-year-old Joseph Cipolletti to 60 months in prison.

David’s Bridal ‘likely’ to close several NE Ohio locations

Cipolletti was vice president of now-bankrupt Discovery Tours in  Mayfield Village , a company that organized educational trips for students to places like Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough told the judge that Cipolletti embezzled $1.5 million from Discovery Tours between 2014 and 2018, taking from 5,000 families and multiple school districts, and used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle.

He pleaded guilty in June 2022 to an 18-count federal indictment charging him with wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and making a false statement under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Defense attorney Brian McGraw told the judge that some of the money that Cipolletti is accused of embezzling was actually bonuses, commissions and other compensation from Discovery Tours — and to a certain degree, Cipolletti was guilty of sloppy bookkeeping. Federal prosecutors said forensic accounting conducted by the FBI does not support that claim.

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Before sentencing, Cipolletti made a statement and wept occasionally, as he apologized to his family and to the victims who lost money when Discovery Tours collapsed.

“I want to say I’m sorry to those families who were hurt by my careless actions,” he told the court.

Prosecutors recommended five to seven years in federal prison and full restitution. The judge on Thursday ordered Cipolletti to pay that restitution, but did not specify an amount.

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Crime and Public Safety | Trial of man accused of embezzling from…

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Crime and public safety | man dies in crash on i-90 in wickliffe, crime and public safety, crime and public safety | trial of man accused of embezzling from discovery tours now scheduled for may.

Joseph A. Cipolletti was indicted in July 2020 by a federal grand jury on 18 charges. Those charges are wire fraud, eight counts of money laundering, eight counts of bank fraud and false statements under oath. Cipolletti was the vice president of Discovery Tours, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Cipolletti’s trial was most recently scheduled to begin Jan. 25. His attorney, Brian R. McGraw, on Jan. 7 filed a motion seeking to continue the trial. In the motion McGraw said plea negotiations in the case are ongoing.

“A draft plea agreement is being reviewed,” McGraw said. “The matter is financially complicated, necessitating a longer than normal plea negotiation/review process.”

McGraw added that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on Jan. 6 suspended jury trials until after Feb. 11 due to coronavirus issues, “absent extraordinary circumstances.”

“The defendant is on bond and does not object to a trial continuance,” McGraw wrote.

Northern District of Ohio Judge Pamela A. Barker on Jan. 10 granted the continuance. A final pretrial conference in the case is scheduled for May 10, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors allege that from June 2014 to May 2018, Cipolletti devised a scheme to divert payments intended for these trips for personal use. He allegedly defrauded parents and other student trip purchasers and embezzled funds meant for school trips to spend on items such as home renovations and personal vehicles. In total, he is alleged to have embezzled approximately $609,942 from the business.

Cipolletti is accused of taking “many actions to further the scheme,” including making multiple false entries in the Discovery Tours general ledger claiming embezzled funds were trip-related expenses, forging an email to a hotel vendor claiming that the business suffered a loss of $236,022.27 due to a hacked account, paying vendors for previous student trips with deposits from future trips, and obtaining high interest loans to conceal his actions. The high interest on these loans ultimately led to Discovery Tours’ eventual bankruptcy filing.

Discovery Tours abruptly ended operations on May 7, 2018. Student trips to Washington, D.C. were canceled for dozens of schools across Ohio and more than 5,000 families lost the money they had previously paid for trip fees.

Several school districts in The News-Herald coverage area were affected, including Mentor, Riverside and Chardon schools.

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President of bankrupt Discovery Tours is back in travel business, under a new name

CLEVELAND — The president and founder of Discovery Tours Inc., the now defunct Mayfield Village-based bus tour company that inexplicably and suddenly folded amid controversy last year, appears to be actively recruiting customers as part of a new tour-related business venture, according to documents obtained by News 5. The new business has been operating even as Discovery Tours still owes millions of dollars to creditors, including the families of thousands of area school children whose Washington D.C. trips were abruptly canceled last spring.

Nearly one year ago, the family-run Discovery Tours Inc. collapsed, prompting the sudden cancellation of school trips for dozens of districts across Ohio. Families of the students who were set to go on the Washington D.C. trip had prepaid as much as $500 to reserve their child’s spot. The sudden insolvency of Discovery Tours Inc. put area school districts in a bind as some opted to use public money to diffuse the loss, while others tried to help families through private donations.

In its Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, Discovery Tours claimed it had nearly $4 million in liabilities compared to roughly $1.3 million in assets. The company listed more than 5,000 creditors, a majority of whom where local families who had prepaid for the Washington D.C. trip. The bankruptcy filing also detailed large sums of expense reimbursements made to six family members who work for or have loaned money to the company. These reimbursements were made prior the bankruptcy filing and totaled $768,840.71. Most of that money went to Discovery Tours Vice President Joe Cipolletti who, according to the filing, was owed $537,348.90 for loan repayments and payments made on his personal credit cards.

“You care about the kids. They didn’t deserve this. But we’re doing everything we can and cooperating 100% to make sure everything gets totaled correctly,” said Joe Cipolletti following a June 2018 bankruptcy proceeding.

It was the ultimate fall from grace for a company that had operated with a sterling reputation for more than three decades. Founded in the 1980s by Alfred Cipolletti, a former educator and school board member, Discovery Tours had provided school trips to the nation’s capital for tens of thousands of students. Unbeknownst to anyone but the Cipolletti family, in the years leading up to the company’s demise, the business was suffocating under mounting debt and high-interest loans.

However, in December 2017, roughly four months before Discovery Tours Inc. went under, company president Alfred Cipolletti created a new business venture, New Destinations LLC, on December 27, 2017, according to business filings with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. The limited liability company was created as Discovery Tours and Cipolletti himself were hemorrhaging money.

Cipolletti and his wife, Donna, filed for personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy later in 2018, claiming they were upside down by nearly $600,000. In their joint personal bankruptcy filing, Cipolletti stated he was the sole owner of New Destinations, holding 100% of the stake in the company. Later in the petition, Cipolletti stated that the value of New Destinations was zero. Cipolletti was also the sole member of the organization, according to court records.

It is unclear when Cipolletti began to actively operate under the New Destinations company. However, a complaint filed with the Ohio attorney general’s office suggests New Destinations was used as early as May 2018. A Broadview Heights woman stated she purchased a ticket for a bus trip and tour for July 2018. The woman claimed she had booked the trip through Cipolletti using the new company name, New Destinations LLC.

Recently, it appears Cipolletti has been ramping up efforts to bring in new business for New Destinations. Former adult customers of Discovery Tours have received brochures and letters from Cipolletti advertising upcoming trips to New Mexico, as well as a cruise on the Adriatic coast. The trips would be sponsored by Mayflower Cruises and Tours but New Destinations would receive a commission. In one of the letters, Cipolletti boasted that he has the best contacts in the travel business and the experience would be unmatched.

A News 5 staff member called Cipolletti on the phone number listed on the brochure. In a series of conversations, Cipolletti told the News 5 staff member about the upcoming New Mexico trip and relayed information on securing a spot on the trip. Cipolletti also told the News 5 staff member that New Destinations LLC is being operated out of his home in Brecksville, despite official state business filings listing the address as Cipolletti’s home in Richmond Heights.

Cipolletti never once mentioned the pending bankruptcies nor did he mention the millions of dollars still owed to thousands of creditors. When he was asked why his company did not have a website or its own storefront, Cipolletti said he was downsizing.

“We had our own office for a while. I decided to save some money, pull back and offer a few trips. That’s where I’m at right now,” Cipolletti said.

News 5 tried to ask Cipolletti about New Destinations LLC at his Brecksville home. Although Cipolletti answered the door, he declined to answer any questions. Calls and emails to his bankruptcy attorney were also not returned.

Legal experts that News 5 consulted with agreed that, generally, an ongoing bankruptcy case would not preclude anyone from starting or running a business that is separate from the business that is being liquidated. However, if that person is determined to have tried to hide assets from the bankrupt company inside of the new company, it could be illegal.

A bankruptcy law expert consulted by News 5 offered a hypothetical difference between what is and isn’t permitted. In the hypothetical case, the owner of a pharmacy whose business closed and filed for bankruptcy is permitted to start and operate a new pharmacy. However, if the owner takes something of value – a cash register for example – from the defunct business and uses it in the new business without the approval of the bankruptcy trustee, that would be considered an illegal act.

Prior case law has found that people who are undergoing bankruptcy are entitled to make a living.

In Cipolletti’s case, however, it is unclear how much money New Destinations LLC has brought in and what has happened to the money. According to a recent report in Cipolletti’s personal bankruptcy, Cipolletti was due more than $25,000 in commissions from Mayflower. That money remains in the estate, which is under the control of the bankruptcy trustee.

It is unclear if and when the affected families of area school children will be reimbursed. Many school districts, including Twinsburg, have opted to continue trips to Washington D.C. with different providers.

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Breaking news, buster murdaugh’s netflix suit over suggestion he may have killed stephen smith could ‘backfire’: lawyer.

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Buster Murdaugh is seeking damages from Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and other media giants for probing the idea he was involved in the 2015 killing of a former classmate .

Buster, 30, has mostly shied away from the limelight in the year since his father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to life in prison for the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of wife Maggie and younger son Paul at the family’s South Carolina home.

On Friday, Buster, a former law student, filed a suit demanding damages from eight defendants — including the media channels and the local South Carolina newspaper the Hampton County Guardian — for producing content that suggested he might be linked to the 2015 death of Stephen Smith.

Smith, 19, was found dead in the early hours of July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, not far from the 1,700-acre hunting estate where Alex Murdaugh gunned down Maggie and Paul six years later.

The teen’s death was initially attributed to a hit-and-run, but the case was reopened thanks to new allegations unearthed during the investigation in Maggie and Paul’s deaths.

Last spring, the South Carolina state authorities announced that Smith was the victim of an “intentional killing” — which drove even more speculation that Buster might somehow be tied to the murder. 

“I think this lawsuit will backfire,” said Eric Bland, a lawyer for Smith’s family, to the Daily Beast .

“I talked to a number of attorneys who were asked to take on his lawsuit, and they passed,” the lawyer said.

The rumors about Buster and Stephen Smith — including allegations that they may have had a romantic relationship — were covered in multiple documentaries released in the wake of Alex Murdaugh’s trial, noted the lawsuit, which was viewed by The Post.

Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” depicted “a young man with red hair carrying a baseball bat” during a reenactment of Smith’s death, the filing said.

“The Plaintiff has red hair, and it is readily ascertainable from the content of the series that the creators were depicting the Plaintiff as the murderer of Stephen Smith,” Buster’s suit said.

The lawsuit also named Michael M. DeWitt Jr., the editor of the Hampton County Guardian, who appeared in the Netflix documentary.

The filing cited several of DeWitt’s statements during his appearance, including the allegations that “there is some truth” to the rumors linking Buster and Smith.

Buster previously blasted the “vicious rumors” in a statement issued shortly after Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the double-murder of Maggie and Paul.

“I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family,” Buster said of his former classmate’s death.

But Bland told the Daily Beast that Buster’s new lawsuit could only increase the attention zeroed in on the new investigation into Smith’s death.

“This will only bring a spotlight to Stephen’s investigation,” he said, adding that Buster risked “exposing himself” through the discovery process.

The proceedings may also generate more content for the producers behind the original documentaries, Bland said.

“I think the defendants will love this lawsuit because it will make a part three of any documentary,” he said.

“Buster was never asked if he had any knowledge of [Smith’s] death. He just said he didn’t kill [Smith] and didn’t have a sexual relationship with him.”

Bland represented several victims of Alex Murdaugh’s financial fraud schemes. He took on Smith’s family as clients when police started to reexamine the case, the Daily Beast explained.

Buster Murdaugh’s lawyer, Shaun Kent, did not immediately return The Post’s request for a comment Tuesday.

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Prosecutors seek up to seven years in prison for Discovery Tours official who embezzled money, causing canceled school trips

• Published: Apr. 19, 2023, 11:06 a.m.

Prosecutors are asking for up to seven years in prison for former Discovery Tours executive Joseph Cipolletti, whose embezzlement led to dozens of cancelled school trips.

• Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Federal prosecutors are seeking as much as seven years in prison for a former executive of Discovery Tours who embezzled money from his family’s company and caused the cancellation of dozens of school trips.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough asked U.S. District Judge Pamela Barker to sentence Joseph Cipolletti to between five years and 10 months and seven years in prison and pay $1.5 million in restitution. Cipolletti’s sentencing is set for Thursday.

A plea agreement in the case called for Cipolletti, 49, of Hudson, to serve about three years in prison, but it left open the possibility that both prosecutors and defense attorneys could argue for more or less time.

Prosecutors upped their recommendation after an investigation into the finances of Discovery Tours found Cipolletti embezzled more than $1.5 million, more than the $600,000 authorities initially discovered, McDonough’s filing said.

“Put simply, Cipolletti knew what he was doing, and he should be punished accordingly,” McDonough wrote in court filings. “A sentence [of 70-87 months] would therefore reflect the seriousness of his offense and deter others from committing the same offense.”

Defense attorney Brian McGraw argued that prosecutors’ incorrectly assessed how much Cipolletti had stolen. He wrote that because no one in the family’s business accused Cipolletti of stealing, the amount of money he took should be limited to the amount of money that students’ families lost by paying for trips they never took.

That amount is about $90,000, McGraw argued. He wrote that would reduce the range his client should face at sentencing to a little more than three years in prison.

“While this case is challenging to get a handle on the numbers, counsel believes that a loss amount of approximately $90,000 would be more fair, more accurate,” McGraw wrote.

Cipolletti was the vice president of the company that set up school trips to out-of-state locations, such as Washington, D.C. He held the position for years before the business collapsed and closed suddenly in 2018. That left some 5,000 students from schools across Northeast Ohio without a trip after they had already paid for it.

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh called for a federal investigation into the closing of the Mayfield-based business.

FBI agents found Cipolletti, who controlled the company’s finances, embezzled money over a three-year span and used it to buy cars and pay for “massive” home renovations and improvements to his backyard and landscaping, according to court records.

He withdrew cash from company accounts and purchased money orders with company funds, prosecutors said. Cipolletti tried to cover up the thefts by claiming someone hacked his computer.

Cipolletti pleaded guilty in June to 18 charges, including wire fraud, engaging in monetary transaction that derived from unlawful activity, bank fraud and lying under oath in bankruptcy proceedings.

Prosecutors and defense have since sparred during hearings and in court filings about exactly how much Cipolletti stole and how long he should be sentenced to prison.

After graduating from John Carroll University and working in Chicago, Cipolletti returned home to help with the business his father created three decades earlier.

Cipolletti helped the business grow, in part by instituting a bonus program for employees who sold trips to schools, McGraw argued.

The business grew too fast — jumping from about $900,000 in annual sales to $6.5 million in 10 years. The company failed to adapt. The business needed a manager, but none was hired. It needed better bookkeeping, but family members failed to put any safeguards in place, McGraw wrote.

“A well-run company would be able to handle this, but Discovery always struggled with this aspect, especially as it grew,” McGraw wrote.

Cipolletti in a written statement to Barker blamed in part the company’s messy bookkeeping and explosive growth.

He said no one at the company kept tabs on the financial side of the business, and family members used personal bank accounts and credit cards to pay for trips in advance and reimburse themselves later after parents paid for the trip.

As competitors began poaching business, the company decided to keep the cost of the trips low out of fear of losing business, McGraw wrote. That led to financial issues and family members taking out second mortgages on their homes or using personal credit cards for the business.

McGraw argued that the company owed Cipolletti about $250,000 he spent from his own money that he never got back.

Cipolletti, a father of three, has since sold his home at considerable loss and is working in the “gig economy,” McGraw wrote.

McDonogh argued that any collateral consequences of Cipolletti’s actions— legal fees, potential humiliation from being a felon— should not be taken into consideration at sentencing.

“These collateral consequences would tend to support shorter sentences for defendants from privileged backgrounds and would not satisfy the goals of sentencing,” McDonough wrote. “Further, because economic and fraud-based crimes are more rational, cool and calculated tn sudden crimes of passion or opportunity, they are prime candidates for general deterrence.”

Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here .

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No trial date set as Bryan Kohberger pushes for change of venue

MOSCOW, Idaho (Court TV) — Bryan Kohberger appeared in court for a hearing on Wednesday where a judge declined to set a date for him to stand trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students.

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom on Friday, June 9, 2023, in Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson/Moscow-Pullman Daily News via AP, Pool)

Kohberger has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and burglary in the brutal stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were killed in an off-campus rental home on Nov. 13, 2022.

At a motions hearing in Kohberger’s case on Wednesday afternoon, the defense and prosecution discussed a number of issues with the judge, including an anticipated trial date. While Judge John Judge had previously indicated his desire to get the trial started sooner rather than later, Kohberger’s attorneys said they simply could not be ready by the prosecution’s proposed date of March 3, 2025.

The prosecution had previously requested that the trial be held in 2025 , specifically in summer so that the nearby high school and University of Idaho would not be in session. At Wednesday’s hearing, Kohberger’s attorneys said that the sheer volume of discovery and the difficulty they’ve had in talking to witnesses mean they will not be ready before June 2025.

Judge Judge scheduled a hearing for May 14 for a hearing on a defense motion to move the trial out of Latah County as well as to bring in an outside jury pool. In their motion, Kohberger’s attorneys argue that “the size of the community and the interconnectedness of its citizenry is problematic and will prevent a fair and impartial pool of potential jurors.” The trial’s location was briefly brought up at a Jan. hearing, where prosecutor Bill Thompson told the judge that he believed that national and international interest in the case made moving the trial a poor choice. Thompson reiterated his belief at Wednesday’s hearing, saying, “We know there’s publicity. Everyone can agree there’s been massive publicity. But I see more about it in Boise than I’ve seen locally.”

Judge Judge said that he would make a more “informed” decision about a future trial date after hearing arguments from both sides on May 14.

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Man agrees to serve 37 years in prison for Discovery Bay homicide, shooting paramedics

M ARTINEZ — A Stockton man has agreed to a copious amount of felony convictions and a 37-year prison sentence to settle charges related to a 2021 crime spree that included a homicide, authorities said.

Darryon Williams, 29, pleaded no contest to several felony counts, including involuntary manslaughter, carjacking, evading police, and multiple counts of assault with a firearm and attempted murder, court records show. He is scheduled to be sentenced to 37 years behind bars in late July.

Williams shot and killed 64-year-old Michael Iliff , a Discovery Bay resident who had allowed Williams’ then-4-year-old son and the child’s mother to stay in his home, police said at the time.

“He tried to help people, probably a little too much,” Iliff’s sister told KCBS at the time .

After killing Iliff, Williams drove to Antioch and opened fire at a group of paramedics tending to an unrelated emergency. Authorities said the attack appeared to be random. Two paramedics were struck in the legs and survived.

Williams trial was set and canceled several times after a preliminary hearing in 2022. Last April, he agreed to the plea deal, court records show. He has been in jail since his arrest in February 2021, and remains there while awaiting formal sentencing, set for July 23.

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Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center: Virtual farm tours, calf birthing barn, agricultural education

Cheese is obviously a big deal here in Wisconsin. Custard too. It might be easy to take these dairy staples for granted and June is the perfect time to learn more about where our favorite dairy products come from. It’s National Dairy Month and so for this month’s Wandering Wisconsin , we're helping you plan a trip to the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Manitowoc.

"I think it's really important for people to know about where their food comes from," Patty Lehn, the executive director of the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center explains. "I'm of an age where when I was in school, a lot of us either had a family member or a good friend who we had the ability to go to a farm because we knew somebody with a farm. That is less and less the case now and only 2% of our population is involved in food production, so it's really important to decrease our learning gap and come and just learn more about our food. But also because it's fun!"

The center has 10,000 square feet of exhibits that cover everything from the diversity of agriculture in Wisconsin to careers that are associated with it. There's also a chance to take a virtual farm tour of a local modern dairy farm. And then there's what Lehn calls the "exclamation point to a visit," The Lank O' Lakes Birthing Barn .

"Most days we have at least one birth in Lake O'Lakes Birthing Barn, so visitors are able to see that miracle happen right here," Patty says.

There's also a Farm House Store and Wisconsin Cafe where you can purchase some Wisconsin-made food and goods.

The center hosts a monthly special event. On June 22 they'll host Dairy Day.

"We have special activities that go above and beyond what our core activities are here in the Discovery Center on a daily basis. We'll be following from cow to carton, the path that milk takes so that people understand that milk doesn't just come out of the grocery store, it actually has a supply chain that it goes through. We'll have, of course, additional animals here on site," Patty explains.

The center is open for visits Thursday through Saturday and while you're in the area, there's lots more to check out.

Things to do in Manitowoc & Two Rivers

Amanda Weibel from Travel Wisconsin says there are lots of good indoor and outdoor activities to check out on a visit to the area. For art enthusiasts, check out the free Rahr-West Art Museum .

"The museum's collection is so impressive. They have artwork from well-known names like Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe and even Andy Warhol," Weibel says.

If you're looking to enjoy the outdoors Weibel recommends Mariners Trail . It's about six miles of trail along Lake Michigan between Manitowoc and Two Rivers. In Two Rivers there's also Point Beach State Forest where you can visit the historic Rawley Point Lighthouse , which has been operated and maintained by the Coast Guard since 1853.

Places to Stay

Also in Two Rivers is a place Weibel recommends to stay. It's the Still Bend Schwartz House , designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's been featured in the Netflix series, The Worlds Most Amazing Vacation Rentals . Weibel says it can be hard to book a room but they also offer public tours. Alternatively, Weibel recommends the Village Inn on the Lake . She says they offer hotel rooms, whirlpools suites and an RV park if you want to bring the camper along. There's also a golf course and indoor swimming pool.

California's Black legislators make case for reparations bills while launching statewide tour

Several members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus launched a statewide tour in San Diego Saturday to promote a slate of 14 reparations bills , including a measure that could change the state constitution to end forced prison labor.

That measure and several others designed to mitigate the effects of racism and slavery will face important legislative deadlines in the next two weeks.

Caucus members and other reparations proponents said they will hold similar State of Black California community listening sessions events in six cities over the next five months.

The Black Caucus’ 14 reparations bills tackle education, business, criminal justice, health care and civil rights, and include two proposed constitutional amendments that they hope to place before voters in November.

One of the amendments, ACA 8, would ban one of the last vestiges of slavery: forced labor in jails and prisons.

The California Constitution and the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime. That exception has enabled corrections facilities to require inmates to work for little or no pay.

Many states have ended those requirements. California is among 16 states that allow it due to exceptions in state constitutions, although Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont voters have removed it from theirs.

An effort to stop forced inmate labor in California  failed to make it out of the legislature  in 2022.

Ending slavery in any form

Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City, proposed an updated initiative that asks voters to affirm that “slavery in any form is prohibited,” but language was recently struck from her proposal that spelled out what that statement meant.

The language now says a prison or jail “shall not punish” an incarcerated person for refusing a work assignment, and it notes that a prison or jail can still reward a prisoner for voluntarily working, such as giving them credit and reducing their sentence.

The bill does not address the issue of cash payment, such as requiring that inmates be paid a minimum wage. In 2022, the California Department of Finance estimated it would  cost the state $1.5 billion  to pay prisoners the state’s minimum wage.

At the panel discussion Saturday, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Moreno Valley Democrat, said the proposal’s softened language was a deliberate choice to make the bill more palatable to voters by proposing incremental changes.

Polls that tested variations of the ballot initiative found higher support for a simplified version, he said.

“Of course, we also know that when you make something more simplistic you are watering down its effectiveness,” he said.

If voters approve it, a partial victory would be better than none and would set the stage for subsequent amendments with similar goals, he said.

“We need to chip away at it, rather than do a total elimination” of forced prison labor, Jackson said later in an interview with CalMatters.

The bill to place the proposed amendment on the ballot must first pass the state Senate’s Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee on June 18 and then the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 24, in order to meet a June 27 deadline to finalize ballot measures.

There could still be changes during its final hearings, the legislators said.

State Sen. Steven Bradford, an Inglewood Democrat who also spoke at the event, said he’s pushing for a stronger version.

“It’s quite clear we want to eliminate involuntary servitude in California,” he said. “Anything less than that is falling short of the objective.”

Seeking a subtle balance

Wilson told CalMatters in a telephone interview that the changes don’t weaken the bill, but there may be more small language revisions.

“The first line is a very bold statement, that slavery is prohibited,” she said. “We all started with what we as legislators agreed to, as well as what we think voters agreed to.”

Voters believed prisoners should work during their sentences, Wilson said, though most agreed they should not be forced to work when they are ill or when a work shift conflicts with a rehabilitation program.

The debate over forced prison labor illustrates the subtle balance that Black Caucus members must often strike to turn the recommendations of the state’s  Reparations Task Force  into policies.

California became the first state in the country to form a reparations task force three years ago and the first to introduce a comprehensive reparations package  of more than 100 recommendations last year.

Several cities, including San Francisco and  Evanston, Ill. , have proposed their own compensation programs for descendants of slaves or victims of racism, often with pushback. A r ecent lawsuit challenging reparations for Evanston’s Black residents gives a preview of the political and financial opposition California’s efforts likely will face.

Some Black California legislators noted that Republican colleagues have pledged to vote against reparations bills and some Democrats also have expressed reservations.

Nevertheless, the Black lawmakers said they will continue trying to build support for their reparations bills through the listening tour and by starting with modest measures that could serve as proof of concept.

“We want to make sure we have some wins we can build up to,” Jackson said at the event. “People need to know that when you do things on reparations the state isn’t going to fall apart. As a matter of fact, it’s going to improve the state overall.”

What would be reparations benefits?

In addition to the ballot initiative to restrict prison labor, another proposed constitutional amendment, authored by Jackson, would counteract Proposition 209, the 1996 measure that banned preferential treatment and affirmative action.

Jackson’s initiative,  ACA 7 , would authorize the state to pay for programs designed to improve life expectancy and educational outcomes of “groups based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, or marginalized genders, sexes, or sexual orientations.”

The Black Caucus’s  other priority reparations bills  would expand educational assistance, address food insecurity, prevent community violence, restore property taken through race-based use of eminent domain, and draft a formal apology for California’s role in slavery.

If reparations measures succeed, the benefits for California could offset their costs, because more disadvantaged Californians would be contributing to its economy instead of dropping out of school or landing in prison, said sociologist Manuel Pastor, director of USC’s Equity Research Institute.

“When you have this level of over-incarceration, you are throwing away talent,” he said. “When you have this low level of education you are short-changing productivity in the future. So equity is everyone’s business.”

He pointed to figures showing Black Californians earning less than White counterparts, even with the same education levels. Moreover, those disparities worsened between 1990 and 2021.

“At each and every level of education there is a wage penalty for being Black or Latino,” Pastor said.

Those gaps contribute to what he called “asset stripping” of Black people and families, creating social and economic shortfalls that snowball over generations.

“People asked, why would I want reparations, why would I want to upset the apple cart?” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who created the state Reparations Task Force when she was an Assemblymember in 2020. “We need reparations to restore us to a healthy state.”

The next community listening session is scheduled in Santa Barbara on July 13.

This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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