CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hundreds of people will be watching federal court this week, waiting to see what will happen to a Mooresville man accused of swindling them out of thousands and thousands of dollars.

They did business with what they thought was a Christian travel agency in Mooresville.

Now investors and former customers, many of whom are senior citizens, are talking with Eyewitness News reporter Jim Bradley about the man they say stole their money and their trust.

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For years, they responded to ads to take trips with Sonshine Tours, a Mooresville company with a clever spelling they believe made it clear they were dealing with a Christian company.

“We just took him as a real good Christian man that was going to really take care of us,” said Diana Long, a former customer.

“What do you think of him now?” Bradley asked.

“I don't know what to think about him,” Long said.

Long is one of more than 100 former customers who investigators say lost thousands of dollars to Steve Young when his company suddenly went out business last fall.

With heartache written across their faces and on stacks of checks written to Young's company, many alleged victims poured out their stories of scrimping and saving to pay for vacations that disappeared when Sonshine Tours closed its doors.

“I had won some money for being employee of the year, and I took all that money and put it on the cruise,” said Juanita Yow. “So any money that we had that was coming up extra we just put it on the cruise, about $1,200.”

“And how much did you get back?” Bradley asked.

“Nothing,” Yow said.

Many people lost over $1,000. In fact, so many complaints came in to Mooresville police that they turned the case over to federal agents.

But after months of investigation, federal prosecutors aren't charging Young with any crimes related to all those customers who lost all that money. Instead, they found a different group of alleged victims, people they said bought stock in Young's Sonshine Tours and Travel and lost every penny.

Eyewitness News spoke with an investor who didn’t want her identity revealed. At $11 a share, she invested $1,100. She said Young promised a return of over 8 percent, saying Sonshine Tours was doing well.

But federal court documents state, "The business was consistently on the brink of insolvency."

Prosecutors said Young "collected more than $120,000 from investors" and used some of it "to pay his personal living expenses.” So when this investor tried to cash in her shares, she got none of her $1,100 back, and neither did anyone else.

“Most of those people are seniors and we are all living on a fixed income, so it's hard for us,” the investor said. “He deceived us.”

“Do you feel like he stole your money?” Bradley asked.

“I guess you would say, 'Yes.' Yes,” she said.

So what does Young say about the investigation and complaints? No one answered the door at either house that sits along the driveway listed as his address.

Young has signed an agreement to plead guilty to securities fraud and tax evasion and to pay full restitution to his victims.

But investors and customers whose vacations vanished said they will believe it when they see it.

“Do you think you'll ever get your money back?” Bradley asked.

“No, no, but I just keep hoping and praying that one day I will,” Long said.

Young declined Eyewitness News’ request for an interview, but his attorney released a statement saying Sonshine Travel lost money because some tour operators it dealt with went bankrupt.

Young is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Wednesday, but his sentencing will come later.

As far as the restitution, the federal charges only involve the investors. It's not clear yet whether the customers who lost money will be included. How much anyone will get back will depend on what Young has and what he can earn. He'll have 20 years to pay people back.