Calliope 'Ope' Saga took the money from Willard High School, Missouri,was supposed to organize the 2012 trip, but used funds for gambling.
 
A travel agent who was paid $360,000 to organize a high school marching band's trip to Hawaii faces 20 years in prison - because he pocketed the fee and spent it on a 47-day trip to Las Vegas.

Calliope 'Ope' Saaga from Sartoga Springs, Utah, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to taking the money families from Willard High School in Missouri had 'scrimped and saved' for.

The 40-year-old, who worked for Present America Tours LLC, was supposed to book plane tickets, lodging, transportation, meals, tours and insurance for more than 300 students and chaperones on the 2012 trip.

Instead he used the funds - wired to him $30,000-a-time by the band's boosters - for gambling, flights and his personal lifestyles.

Under an agreement, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and an order or restitution, according to the Springfield News-Leader.

Julie Germann, a Willard school board member who was at the hearing, told the paper: 'I was hoping he would turn around just once and look at us and acknowledge who he stole from. There were kids and families that scrimped and saved for this opportunity.'
Chris Church, who was thew band's director for 32 years added: 'The kids and the parents and the families in Willard want justice, want restitution and want to see that this man never does this again.

'Until everything is finalized, you're still holding your breath. That was a lot of money for these families.'

Saaga, had previously set up a number of Willard band trips and had built a good working relationship with the school.

Germann said he was 'a delightful person to work with' and wondered what happened in his life to make things go so wrong.

Throughout the process, he temporarily 'lulled' the band's boosters into suggesting his trip was being planned on schedule.

Following the hearing, he was released on bond until the next hearing which is expected in two or three months.