FOX 2 - A New Boston photographer has pleaded guilty in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving child modeling events, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan.
The backstory:
Chanise Coyne has pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud and admitted that she obtained over $4.6 million from a local family, exploiting their daughter's modeling dreams.
Coyne faces up to 20 years imprisonment. Sentencing is set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 1.
Coyne, 46, had claimed that money would be used for advance fees associated with the participation of the family’s young daughter in various modeling events across the country. In the federal indictment, wire transfers ranged from $40,000 to $160,000.
The Downriver woman admitted in her plea that she created false records — including fake text messages, emails, and invoices relating to the supposed placement of a young girl in modeling events.
The money obtained by Coyne was spent for her own benefit and not used in connection with the placement of the young girl in a single modeling event.
Instead, Coyne used large sums of her fraud proceeds for gambling including multiple alleged money laundering transactions involving the online sports gambling platform FanDuel.
Dig deeper:
In November, 2024, FOX 2 reported on Coyne regarding a Santa photo shoot for the holidays which she canceled due to a monkeypox rumor.
Coyne took money for a shoot, then claimed the Santa Claus who would be at the shoot had Mpox. But FOX 2 contacted the Santa who showed texts from Coyne claiming she was canceling because she had gotten sick with the illness.
In that instance, Coyne returned the money to the Macomb Township family but never explained the confusion or why she used the excuse.
FOX 2 viewers and social media users in Metro Detroit posted mixed reviews, with some satisfied customers, and others claiming she collected money and canceled scheduled shoots.
There is also a 99-person private group on Facebook titled "Chanise Coyne Scam Victims."
The Source: Information for this story is from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.