The owner of a well-known North Carolina wedding venue has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1 million from couples and investors by selling “all-inclusive” wedding packages he failed to deliver.
Jason Lottman, 43, could face up to 20 years in prison after admitting on July 6 that he defrauded customers and investors tied to Champaign Manor, the now-closed wedding venue in Monroe, federal prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Lottman collected payments from couples for package deals that were supposed to cover vendors, but then failed to pay those vendors — leaving brides and grooms scrambling to pay again for services such as DJs, florists and photographers to keep their wedding plans on track.
“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for 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,” Ferguson added.
Authorities said Lottman “orchestrated a scheme” between October 2023 and January 2025 to fraudulently obtain “more than $1 million” from Champaign Manor clients and investors.
According to prosecutors, Lottman advertised “all-inclusive wedding packages” and required customers to pay upfront for vendors including caterers, DJs, florists, hair and makeup artists and photographers. He allegedly led clients to believe he would either pay those vendors directly or reimburse couples who selected their own providers.
“Then, Lottman failed to pay those vendors, leaving customers to pay out-of-pocket for services they had already paid for through Lottman,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
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.
