Customers who paid a West Virginia travel agency for airfare and lodging told investigators they never received booking confirmations. Their complaints are part of a fraud investigation in which State Police announced 32 criminal charges against the agency’s owner.
Michelle Pauley-LaMaster, 47, of Charleston, was arrested November 11, 2026. She owned and operated LaMaster Travel LLP, according to the State Police announcement published by My Buckhannon.
Senior Trooper Z.M. Lewis opened the investigation on October 29. Reports involving customer payments and unauthorized credit-card charges prompted the inquiry into the travel business.
A criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court describes customers reporting thousands of dollars in losses, according to WCHS’s reporting. Troopers said additional potential victims may not yet have been reached and further charges could follow.
Complaints Describe Missing Confirmations and a Bad Refund Check
The international travel complaints involved vacation packages to Aruba, Jamaica and Norway. Several customers told investigators they paid for flights and accommodations but received no confirmation that the arrangements had been secured.
Another complaint involved a Disney vacation customer who reported more than $6,000 in unauthorized charges. WCHS reported that the customer repeatedly requested a refund and that Pauley-LaMaster was accused of writing a bad check to cover the difference owed. The complaint alleges that she obtained or deprived customers of money through misleading representations and promises.
Court Records Detail Two Criminal Cases
The four-page felony-case summary for case 26-M20F-01551 lists seven fraudulent-scheme counts, eight counts of obtaining a signature by false pretenses and 14 counts of possessing a counterfeit or unauthorized access device with intent to defraud. It also lists one count each of grand larceny, computer fraud and a worthless-check offense, for 32 counts in that case.
A separate three-page misdemeanor-case summary, case 26-M20M-10633, lists two fraudulent-scheme counts and two counts of obtaining money, goods or other property by false pretenses. Both cases were filed November 10. Together, the two court summaries list 36 counts, compared with the 32 charges announced by State Police.
Court Records Set November 20 Hearings
Both case summaries list preliminary hearings for November 20 at 1:45 p.m. before Magistrate Delbert J. Roush. The records were captured November 13, and Pauley-LaMaster is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The summaries list a $40,000 cash bond in the felony case and a $10,000 cash bond in the misdemeanor case, both set November 11. State Police originally reported a $500,000 cash-only bond following the arrest. The November 13 court summaries instead list $50,000 in combined cash bond amounts across the two cases.
Confirm Reservations and Act Quickly on Disputed Charges
The Federal Trade Commission recommends researching travel companies and getting cancellation and refund terms before paying. Contact airlines, hotels or cruise operators through their official channels to check reservations under your name, including whether an airline reservation has actually been ticketed.
If you find an unauthorized charge, contact the card issuer immediately. For travel services you paid for but did not receive, ask the issuer about disputing the charge and provide the booking agreement, receipts and correspondence.
For qualifying credit-card billing-error disputes, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises sending a written billing-error notice within 60 days after the card issuer sent the first statement showing the error. Use the designated billing-dispute address and keep a copy. Preserve refund promises and any returned-check records, and report suspected fraud to local police and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.