{"id":2937,"date":"2026-07-07T05:04:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T05:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2937"},"modified":"2026-07-07T05:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T05:04:36","slug":"nc-wedding-venue-owner-admits-to-jilting-brides-grooms-and-others-out-of-1m-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2937","title":{"rendered":"NC wedding venue owner admits to jilting brides, grooms and others out of $1M"},"content":{"rendered":"

The former owner of a popular wedding venue in Monroe<\/a> pleaded guilty<\/a> on Monday to stealing a total of about $1 million from brides, grooms and investors, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

Read more NC fan tattooed a Stanley Cup dream into reality. Is an NFL Panthers promise next?<\/a><\/p>\n

Jason Lottman, a 43-year-old Charlotte resident who owned the now-shuttered Champagne Manor, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Charlotte after an FBI investigation, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Lottman faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date hasn\u2019t been scheduled.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, Lottman got people to invest in the business by falsely promising ownership interest and guaranteed returns.<\/p>\n

Lottman claimed, for instance, that Champagne Manor was buying a glass ballroom that would be collateral \u201cfor certain investment programs,\u201d according to the news release. Lottman never bought the ballroom, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

Champagne Manor, a massive, stately castle,<\/a> is surrounded by ponds on Sugar and Wine Road in eastern Union County, about 40 miles from uptown Charlotte, The Charlotte Observer reported in March 2025 with interviews of brides and grooms who lost money in the scheme.<\/p>\n

Customers also were offered \u201cinvestment-style programs and promotional discounts that promised future repayments or refunds that he knew he could not\u201d fulfill according to the news release.<\/p>\n

He told investors they would receive payments by certain dates and came up with excuses when that didn\u2019t happen, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

Read more The price of stamps to go up (again) in July. Here\u2019s how much you\u2019ll pay<\/a><\/p>\n

Lottman also marketed all-inclusive wedding packages to brides and grooms that made them pay upfront for caterers, photographers, florists, DJs, and hair and makeup artists, prosecutors said. He took about $1 million<\/a> from 30 hopeful couples, The Charlotte Observer reported last year.<\/p>\n

He told customers that he would pay the vendors directly or reimburse the brides and grooms who chose their own vendors, court records show. He failed to pay the vendors, which forced customers to pay out-of-pocket for services they\u2019d already paid for through Lottman, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

The fraud lasted from October 2023 through January 2025, according to court documents. In mid-2024, the venue defaulted on its mortgage, and foreclosure proceedings began, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though Lottman knew the venue was in severe financial distress and would ultimately cease operations, he continued to solicit payments from customers and investors, while concealing the venue\u2019s dire financial condition,\u201d according to the news release.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn North Carolina, we don\u2019t mess with brides,\u201d Ferguson said in a statement in the news release. \u201cWeddings 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more With city unsure, community sees potential rail stop as \u2018catalyst for transformation\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ex-owner of a popular wedding venue in Monroe pleaded guilty to stealing a total of about $1 million from brides, grooms and investors, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNC wedding venue owner admits to jilting brides, grooms and others out of $1M - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NC wedding venue owner admits to jilting brides, grooms and others out of $1M - 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