Diane Whiford/Mugshot Courtesy of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office
MIAMI, Okla. — A travel agent accused of scamming hundreds of tourists out of thousands of dollars is being held in the Ottawa County Jail on an outstanding arrest warrant in Missouri.
Diane Whiford is being held in Taney County, Missouri, on a forged check charge.
Wiford and her husband, Kenny, are the owners of Miami-based Wiford Tours and Travel, a travel agency that is under investigation by Miami police after customers allegedly purchased trips and vacations through the travel agency but never received their tickets.
Wiford and her husband, Kenny, are the owners of Miami-based Wiford Tours and Travel, a travel agency that is under investigation by Miami police after customers allegedly purchased trips and vacations through the travel agency but never received their tickets.
Other business names used were Wiford Travel and KenDi Wiford.
Miami Police Chief Thomas Anderson said officers have received more than 400 complaints about Wiford Tours and Travel in recent days.
According to published reports, in 2008, she pleaded guilty in federal court under the name Diahan Click to defrauding Buffalo Run Casino of about $193,000 worth of free gambling cards.
Police say the husband and wife owners of the store were engaged in fraudulent activity in North Dakota using a different store name.
In 2015, the North Dakota Attorney General issued a cease and desist order banning Wiford from selling timeshares. The name used in the lawsuit was Diane Cott.
“We are pleased to announce that Discover Branson has signed a memorandum of understanding with the travel agency,” the company said on its social media site on May 25.
“We regret to inform you that Wiford Travel, KenDi Wiford Travel and Wiford Tour and Travel are no longer in business. If you have done business with these agencies, we strongly encourage you to contact your financial institution to discuss further options.” These companies, like many others, purchased tickets for their guests through our website. We have not collected any monies from these companies' customers, and have not received payment for many of the tickets purchased this week. “There are many other hotels, shows, attractions and agencies in Branson that have been affected by this sudden closure. The only company that collected any money from consumers is Whiford Travel. On behalf of Discover Branson and the Branson community, we are deeply saddened by the impact this sudden closure has had on so many customers and businesses.”
We will update this story as more information becomes available..
