Witness to Tollefson: 'You said, "Trust me"'

Don Tollefson fattened his personal bank accounts with hundreds of thousands of dollars from his charities, a Bucks County prosecutor said Wednesday on the second day of the former sportscaster's fraud trial.

Matt Weintraub, chief of prosecutions for the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, highlighted reams of financial records to argue that Tollefson's charity helped few people beyond the former Philadelphia sportscaster.

In two years, Tollefson's Winning Ways organization raised nearly $1 million from donors including the Norristown Police Athletic League. But according to the statements, huge chunks of the money did not go to the poor city children who were supposed to benefit from the charity.

Drew Koser, a special agent with the Pennsylvania Department of State who reviewed the books, testified that nearly $200,000 in cashier's checks went to Tollefson's personal account. The defendant's wife, Marilyn Torres Tollefson, received about $75,000 in wire transfers.

Tollefson is accused of bilking more than 200 people out of $340,000 by selling them bogus sports-related travel packages, often in the name of Winning Ways.

Weintraub has argued that Tollefson intentionally fleeced his victims. Tollefson, who is representing himself, said he was a bad businessman who tried to help too many people. A self-acknowledged alcoholic, he says booze and prescriptions impaired his judgment.

During his cross-examination of Koser, Tollefson noted records showing his charity spent more than $100,000 on promised travel packages that included hotel rooms, airfare, and tickets to sporting events. He also claimed to have spent an additional $100,000 reimbursing people he let down, although he cited no records to back that up.

More of Tollefson's alleged victims testified against him.

"You said, 'Trust me. Trust me. Trust me.' And I trusted you," said Dan Kenney, a Warminster bar owner who paid $500 for a travel package to a 2013 Eagles road game that he never received. "Then it all fell apart."

Kenney added: "I wanted to believe because of who you are and your reputation."