North Carolina wedding venue owner pleads guilty to million-dollar fraud scheme

Jason Lottman, the owner of a wedding venue in North Carolina, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on 6 July after stealing over one million dollars. Lottman ran Champaign Manor in Monroe, where he sold couples expensive "all-inclusive" wedding packages that he never delivered. The fraud began in October 2023 and continued until January 2025. By mid-2024, the venue had already failed to pay its mortgage and was facing foreclosure. Even so, Lottman kept taking money from couples and investors without telling them about these serious financial problems. Police arrested him in January 2025 after a sting operation. He could now spend up to 20 years in prison. The venue has closed.