Police searching for Toronto travel agent charged after Global News report

A Toronto travel agent who was charged after a Global News report exposed how she allegedly accepted money for planned vacations but didn’t provide actual tickets, is facing a slew of new charges and police are urging her to surrender.

Toronto police are asking the public for help finding 50-year-old Carolyn Michelle Solomon, the owner of Blue Mountain Travel, after they said she sold travel services that “were only partially provided, if at all.”

Police said Solomon used customers’ credit cards to purchase legitimate travel services for people who were not known to the credit card holder.

READ MORE: Family paid $10k for vacation, but travel agent didn’t deliver

In August 2015, Carolyn Solomon was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without registration under Ontario’s Travel Industry Act, but Toronto police said in April they would also be laying two additional criminal charges of fraud over $5,000.

Since then, police said she has been charged with fraud under $5,000, failure to comply with recognizance, two counts of obtaining money through false pretenses, failure to comply with an undertaking, four counts of fraud over $5,000 and two counts of making a false statement to procure money.

Police said Thursday she is now wanted for additional charges of fraud under $5,000, eight counts of failing to comply with recognizance and one count of fraud over $5,000. She is also wanted on a surety warrant.

On Oct. 13, York Regional Police officers attempted to arrest her in the Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West area of Vaughan, Ont., but she fled the scene in a gold 2007 Chrysler 200 with the Ontario licence plate BZNE248.

Solomon is now also wanted for dangerous driving, obstructing police and driving while under suspension in connection with that incident and police are “strongly encouraging” Solomon to turn herself in.

Global News first became aware of issues at the travel agency by Judith Robinson of Brampton, whose family said in August they paid Solomon more than $10,000 for an all-inclusive vacation for 10 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

READ MORE: Toronto travel agent charged after Global News report

Although Solomon had been paid for travel in full using credit cards, the family found out close to their scheduled departure that they did not have airline tickets or reservations at the resort hotel.

Orville Skyers was a long-time customer at Blue Mountain Travel and said he frequently booked flights with Solomon before he said he paid for return travel for himself and his son to Jamaica in August and found out at the airport that his return flight back to Toronto was not valid.

Richard Smart, the registrar of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), told Global News in August that Solomon was “acting illegally” and that his agency, which regulates the act on behalf of the Ontario government, brought the charge OTIA charge against her after receiving about 30 complaints about Solomon and Blue Mountain Travel on Jane Street.

WATCH: Toronto Travel Agent charged after Global News report

TICO told Global News in April that Blue Mountain Travel was not allowed to operate after July 31 and doing so is a violation of the Act.

Police said  Solomon, who was once an employee of Blue Mountain Travel prior to being the owner, is known to use the aliases Michelle Durant, Carolyn Durant and Michelle Solomon.

Investigators said they believe there may be more alleged victims. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.

READ MORE: Toronto travel agent faces criminal fraud charges after Global News report

Information can also be shared with Det. Ruth Moran at 416-808-7319 or by contacting Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

Consumers who did not receive promised travel or who had to pay extra for additional flights are eligible to make a claim against the Travel Industry Council’s compensation fund.

— Sean O’Shea contributed to this report