Former Philadelphia sportscaster Don Tollefson withdrew his guilty plea Monday afternoon in Doylestown.
Credit: Warminster Twp. Police
The 62-year-old veteran sportscaster, who appeared on 6abc and Fox 29 for years, withdrew his guilty plea before a county judge, according to Philly.com and The Morning Call.
Tollefson wants to represent himself at trial.
— LaurieMasonSchroeder (@LehighCourts) December 15, 2014
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Don Tollefson successfully withdraws guilty plea, will represent himself at trial next month.
— Chris Palmer (@cs_palmer) December 15, 2014
Tollefson said he was innocent, that he had that revelation during many prayer sessions after agreeing to plea deal
— Chris Palmer (@cs_palmer) December 15, 2014
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Tollefson pleaded guilty in later September to defrauding more than 200 people of at least $315,000.
The 62-year-old has gone through two sets of legal teams before announcing that he was representing himself.
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Tollefson, according to court papers, sold travel and room packages in the name of charity for at least several years. The packages ranged from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. In the end, the parties who purchased the ticket packages for Phillies spring-training games, Eagles games, the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby never receive the agreed upon sports trips and tickets they paid for.
Tollefson’s troubles are said to be linked to alcohol and painkiller addiction. He has since undergone treatment for his dependencies, Sharif Abaza, the attorney representing the Tollefson, told reporters in spring.
Officials say Tollefson, known to local television viewers as “Tollie,” scammed at least 200 people from around the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas. Officials say the former sportscaster “misappropriated” more than $315,000.
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According to authorities, Tollefson fraudulently solicited money for charities and then misappropriated the cash. Some of the charities include the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, the Salvation Army and the Brad Fox Foundation.
The Bucks County investigation began in September 2013 and involved police from around the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas.
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Investigators discovered that at least two of Tollefson’s charities, both for disadvantage children, were not registered with the state Bureau of Charitable Organizations. Only charities making less than $25,000 a year do not have to register.
Tollefson is accused of telling people who bought ticket packages that his organizations were tax exempt.
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Authorities previously said the people of the Philadelphia area are very charitable and some were likely “embarrassed” to come forward.
A hollow and aged Tollefson was escorted into a Warminster district courthouse in February after he turned himself into Bucks County authorities. The former local TV star told the judge he was living of Social Security disability.
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Victims were told of Tollefson’s guilty plea by Assistant District Attorney Matt Weintraub in September. In media reports, many of them seemed happy Tollefson was admitting guilt.
Tollefson will face trial next month.
