Veteran Says He Was 'Duped' By Mass. Tour Guide

BOSTON (CBS) - It's a military history buff's dream vacation. Band of Brothers Tours is a company that capitalizes on the popularity of the HBO series "Band of Brothers", visiting famous historic battle sites in Europe.

Wisconsin Air Force veteran Fred Doebler was so excited, he fronted $6,000 to schedule a trip that would take off September 11th. "The one thing on my bucket list," he said.

Neither tickets, nor itinerary ever arrived. Instead Doebler now finds out Jake Powers, the owner of Band of Brothers Tours, who lives in South Grafton, is facing a larceny charge, and is due in court later this month.

"It's kind of a stain, you know, that he would dupe a veteran," Doebler says. He says he knows of dozens of other victims.

Powers tells WBZ that a serious illness forced him to abandon his business. "I got sick back in June, and will be happy to address that. Obviously I owe the folks some money," he explained. "We've probably paid back over half of it, but probably owe another $40,000."

A spokesperson with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office tells us investigators received nine complaints about Band of Brothers Tours, and passed them along to Grafton Police. Chief Norman Crepeau says the case is still under investigation, but Powers is already facing at least one charge.

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