FORT SMITH -- Calliope Saaga stole thousands of dollars paid to him to arrange a Fort Smith Southside High School marching band trip to Hawaii in 2011 to replace the money he lost gambling that was meant for a Missouri high school marching band's similar trip, according to federal documents.
Saaga, a travel agent, accepted three payments totaling $272,500 in 2011 and 2012 from the Southside band to arrange travel, lodging, tours and other services for the 290 people.
His plea agreement said that when he did not have enough money for the Willard, Mo., High School band trip, he used the Southside band's money to try to cover it. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud Thursday in connection with the Fort Smith case.
A plea agreement Saaga signed with the U.S. attorney in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday stated he gambled away $360,000 in Las Vegas that the Willard High School band had paid him for its Hawaii trip, which involved about 320 band members, parents and family.
He pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Springfield to one count of wire fraud. No sentencing date has been set in the case.
Federal court documents showed that neither school band was able to take its trip.
Saaga's sentencing will come after the submission of a pre-sentence report, which often takes several weeks to complete. In the meantime, Saaga remained free on a $10,000 bond.
After his arraignment on the indictment in June, U.S. Magistrate James Marschewski ordered Saaga, who is Samoan, to restrict his travel to western Arkansas and western Missouri and not to gamble. Saaga surrendered his passport upon his arrest in Utah in May.
A rendition of facts in the plea agreement supporting his guilty plea in Fort Smith said Saaga was hired in August 2011 to make the arrangements for the Southside band trip. The band wired to his bank account the three payments totaling $272,500 in September 2011, November 2011 and February 2012.
In March 2012, then-band director Sean Carrier began having trouble contacting Saaga. In mid-April 2012, Saaga sent an email to Carrier admitting he had misused the band's money.
NW News on 10/18/2014