“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson

A popular wedding venue owner in North Carolina has pleaded guilty to stealing over a million dollars from couples.

Jason Lottman, 43, the former owner of popular wedding venue Champagne Manor, located in Monroe, N.C. made the plea during a hearing in federal court on Monday, July 6, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of North Carolina.

He pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud for defrauding customers and investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the U.S. attorney’s office.

Lottman “orchestrated a scheme” to fraudulently obtain “more than $1 million” from clients and investors connected to Champaign Manor from October 2023 through January 2025, according to authorities.

He marketed “all-inclusive wedding packages” to his customers and made them “pay upfront for vendors,” like caterers, photographers, florists, DJs, and hair and makeup artists, and made it seem like he would pay them directly or reimburse customers who chose their own vendors.

“Then, Lottman failed to pay those vendors, leaving customers to pay out-of-pocket for services they had already paid for through Lottman,” said the U.S. attorney’s office.

“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime events where individuals spend significant savings, and we will be vigilant to ensure they are not defrauded while they plan their special day.”

Authorities claimed that he also “solicited investments” for the venue by “promising ownership interests, guaranteed returns, or other financial incentives” to investors while “making false statements to secure the investment money.”

In addition to this, when Champagne Manor defaulted on its mortgage and foreclosure proceedings began in mid-2024, authorities said that he continued to “solicit payments from customers and investors, while concealing the venue’s dire financial condition.”

They said that Lottman lied to investors, telling them that Champagne Manor was acquiring a “glass ballroom” that would “serve as collateral for certain investment programs,” but no such purchase was made.

He also offered customers “investment-style programs and promotional discounts” that “promised future repayments or refunds,” that he was unable to fulfill, and lied to customers about when they would receive payments and why they were delayed.

The U.S. attorney’s office said the maximum penalty for the wire fraud charge is 20 years in prison.

Lottman’s plea hearing comes over a year after he was initially arrested by the Union County Sheriff’s Office (USCO), who set up a sting to catch him.

It was unclear how much money he had stolen up to that point, but one customer, Mark Yarotskiy, claimed to WCNC-TV that he lost thousands of dollars after booking Champagne Manor as a venue.

“He was lying to our face,” he told the outlet at the time. “No one is able to reach him anymore. We are out of money and time.”

Source: https://people.com/popular-wedding-venue-owner-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-more-than-usd1-million-from-couples-and-investors-12016101