FEBRUARY 5, 2025|
Photo – Kevin Kolenda on a secluded island – Courtesy Hole in Won web site
A Connecticut insurance salesman accused of scamming the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce has been caught by the federal government.
According to a Cowboy State Daily article, in 2018, Kevin Kolenda, owner of Hole in Won prize insurance company, was hired to cover the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual ice fishing derby. Specifically, Kolenda’s company promised to pay the prize money after a participant caught one of the derby’s tagged fish, valued at $5,000, $10,000, and $20,000. If none of the three tagged fish were caught, the insurance company owner was set to keep the unspecified premium.
When an angler managed to catch the $10,000 prize fish, Kolenda allegedly refused to pay and ignored repeated attempts by Chamber members to contact him for the prize money.
Bigfoot99 reached out to the current Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer Amanda Knotwell for comment. Knotwell said she was not a part of the Chamber at the time and has no knowledge of the situation.
Kolenda is accused of pulling similar scams on dozens of other charity fundraising organizations. In April of 2024, the federal government charged Kolenda with six counts of wire fraud, with each count carrying up to 20 years in prison.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Kolenda’s alleged victims, often charitable or civic organizations like the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, would purchase insurance from Hole in Won for one or more prizes at an event. The victim would pay the insurance premium to Hole in Won, with Kolenda promising to pay out the insurance claim for the cost of the insured prize in the event of a winner. If the insured prize was not won, Kolenda would keep the premium.
The US Attorney’s Office stated if someone won the insured prize, Kolenda would use various fraudulent techniques to avoid payment of the claim, such as making excuses as to why Hole in Won did not have to pay the claim, or referring victims to the non-existent Hole in Won Claims Department, in Washington, DC.
Kolenda would also threaten victims with bogus legal action and reputational harm if they continued to seek payment of the claim.
Eventually, as in the case with Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, Kolenda would just stop responding, requiring the victim to pay any prize claim themselves.
Kolenda pled “not guilty” to the six counts of wire fraud and is expected to be tried in federal court this coming August.
