Tollefson deliberations to resume Wednesday

Jury deliberations in the Don Tollefson fraud trial will continue Wednesday after Bucks County Court jurors did not reach a verdict Tuesday night.

The panel of five women and seven men heard closing arguments Tuesday morning before they began to consider whether the former Philadelphia sportscaster duped about 200 people and a few charities out of $340,000.

Tollefson, 62, failed to deliver sports-related travel packages that he sold in the name of charity. The question the jury must answer is whether he set out to rip off the charities and ticket buyers, or whether he was the bad businessman he contends he was.

"I am not a criminal," an exhausted-looking Tollefson, who served as his own attorney, told the jury on the trial's 11th day.

Summing up his case, Tollefson said he operated his Winning Ways charity to help poor city children and wounded veterans for decades without complaint. But then, he said, he lost track of its finances because he failed to hire an accountant and overextended his efforts.

"The assumption is that Don Tollefson took the money with criminal intent," Tollefson said. "My intent was to enable some of these kids to go do something that fed my soul."

He also addressed his victims: "I will be raising money successfully someday. I won't give up."

Assistant District Attorney Matt Weintraub said Tollefson never planned on paying anyone back, fleecing people with his charity as a front.

"He hid behind kids and veterans to get money for his fraud," Weintraub said. He contended that the scheme fed Tollefson's ego while fattening his bank account.

Weintraub said jurors should not fall for Tollefson's description of helping others through charity, which he called a fantasy world.

"He's trying to catch you in a web of deceit and lies," Weintraub said. "Don't get caught, ladies and gentlemen."

He added: "That Tollefson gravy train kept right on rolling until we shut it down."