January 13, 2015
Handout/for PhillyVoice
Former sportscaster Don Tollefson is defending himself in court against fraud charges.
Former Philadelphia sportscaster Don Tollefson took the stand on Monday in his own defense against accusations of selling fraudulent sports package tickets, the Delaware County Daily Times reports.
Tollefson, 62, told stories of his youth, his time at Stanford and his favorite athletes. He was objected to several times for straying from trial-relevant testimony.
During his testimony, Tollefson explained how he got started in Philadelphia with Action News and then moved to North Carolina, where he began Winning Ways, according to the Delaware County Daily Times.
Through the years, he said, financial mistakes were made, and he began to lose control.
After facing scrutiny for failing to deliver on the ticket packages, Tollefson said he decided on Oct. 11, 2013 to check himself into rehab for the first time in his life in Scranton.
He said on Monday that he is upset by the fact that people think he purposefully tried to steal from them. He also said one of his biggest regrets in life is that it took him such a long time to realize he had a drug and alcohol problem.
Tollefson will continue to testify on Tuesday.
