Clinton Township

Teacher arranges fake trip to Europe, takes money from students

By Heidi Roman
C & G Staff Writer

Baker College instructor being investigated by police for alleged scam

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A history and geography teacher who promised to show his students the world ended up giving them the run-around.

The teacher, an adjunct faculty member at Baker College of Clinton Township, collected money from at least 12 people in exchange for the promise of a trip to Europe that never departed, police said.

About a year ago, Brett Boury of St. Clair Shores, 37, started recruiting some of his students and their friends to take a trip to Europe. He had hoped to get about 100 people to travel with, but only 30 showed up at an informational meeting he planned, police said. He allegedly tried to get the college to sponsor the trip, but it refused.

He’s accused of collecting between $1,500 and $3,000 from the travelers, and said the trip would depart Aug. 24. As the travel date neared, students started to become leery of the situation. Boury allegedly started making excuses and telling the victims that the trip had to be postponed.

“He talked about the Air France crash and the swine flu, and all of these other reasons for cancellations,” said Clinton Township Police Capt. Richard Maierle.

Police got wind of the scam when six victims filed reports. Since the investigation began, six more victims have come forward, and there could be more.

Detective Tim Standfest questioned Boury about what had happened to the money the travelers had paid.

“He said he has the money at a travel agency,” Maierle said. “He was supposed to produce some documentation (to police), but he produced nothing.”

Boury, who lives with his parents in St. Clair Shores, was arrested Aug. 28 and charged with larceny by conversion and larceny by false pretenses. At press time, he was being held in the Macomb County Jail.

Boury’s mother reportedly told police her son was working towards his doctorate. Police said Boury was on probation for passing bad checks.

Boury had worked at Baker College of Clinton Township for more than two years, said James Koenig, vice president of academics. Koenig stressed that the college did not endorse the phony trip Boury had arranged.

“In other words, we the campus did not have anything to do with it,” he said. “But we are very concerned about our students that may have been effected by the actions of Mr. Boury, and we’re waiting to see what the outcome of that investigation is.”

Koenig said it’s too early to tell what other sort of repercussions the college may have in store for Boury, but that Baker officials are fully cooperating with the police investigation.

“We’re finding out a lot about (the situation),” he said. “We have full trust that their investigation will find out exactly what happened.”

Anyone who may have been a victim of the alleged scam is asked to call Detective Tim Standfest at (586) 493-7845.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Heidi Roman at hroman@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.