ONLY ON 7: Sterling Heights man wanted in North Carolina, accused of defrauding students

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) - Five felony warrants have been issued for 39-year-old Robert Sudy of Sterling Heights.

Authorities in Yancey County, North Carolina, say he defrauded students, teachers and parents out of thousands of dollars.

Investigators say Sudy operates the International Language Centers, including the Centro Linguistico Internacional in Antigua, Guatemala.

Sudy is accused of failing to deliver on a Spanish language immersion trip for a group of 21 students, teachers and parents from Mountain Heritage High School in Burnsville, North Carolina. 

After the group paid roughly $26,000, the trip never happened.

"The students had worked really hard trying to raise funds," says Principal Patricia Bennett. "Many of them had used Christmas money and birthday gifts and for some this was their graduation present."

The day before the trip, teachers found out the plane tickets had never been purchased, and Sudy did not respond to phone calls.

Finally, Sudy sent an email telling the school there were financial issues and he would try to repay the money.

But so far no money has been returned.

"I am still stunned and find myself stuck at every turn," Sudy wrote to the school.

Sudy's home is listed in Sterling Heights, but his father who answered the door Thursday said his son no longer lives there.

Sudy's father also told 7 Action News he did not care where his son was, and he had paid off $700,000 in gambling debts for his son.

Police in Sterling Heights received the warrants from Yancey County but they have not been able to locate Sudy either.