The owner of a popular North Carolina wedding venue has admitted stealing more than $1 million from couples and investors by charging for “all-inclusive” packages that he never provided.
Jason Lottman, 43, faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty on July 6 to scamming customers and investors at his now-shuttered Champaign Manor, a popular wedding venue in Monroe, according to federal prosecutors.
He charged couples for all-inclusive packages — just to not pay the vendors, forcing couples to pay a second time for DJs, florists and photographers to rescue their big days.
“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said US Attorney Russ Ferguson of the Western District of North Carolina.
“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,” he added.
Lottman “orchestrated a scheme” to fraudulently obtain “more than $1 million” from clients and investors connected to Champaign Manor between October 2023 and January 2025, according to authorities.
He marketed “all-inclusive wedding packages” to customers, making them “pay upfront for vendors” such as caterers, DJs, florists, hair and makeup artists and photographers, making it seem as if he would pay them directly or reimburse customers who chose their vendors, authorities said.
“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 US attorney’s office.
He also “solicited investments” for the wedding venue, “promising ownership interests, guaranteed returns, or other financial incentives” to investors while “making false statements to secure the investment money,” said authorities.
Even when Champaign Manor defaulted on its mortgage, leading to foreclosure proceedings in mid-2024, Lottman continued to “solicit payments from customers and investors, while concealing the venue’s dire financial condition,” said the US attorney’s office.
Lottman was arrested in January 2025 as a result of a sting operation set up by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, cops said at the time in a statement on social media.
The FBI was also involved in bringing down the scam.
Many couples lost thousands of dollars in bookings after the wedding venue abruptly closed last year, with Lottman reportedly failing to respond to any of them.
“He was lying to our faces. No one is able to reach him anymore. We are out of money and time,” Mark Yarotskiy, one of the affected parties, told WCNC at the time.
Lottman’s sentence will be determined by the court based on advisory US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the US attorney’s office said.
A sentencing date is yet to be set.
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