Photographer Jailed for Five Years After Scamming Family Out of $4.6M and Spending $200K on Taylor Swift Tickets

A photographer has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after scamming a family out of $4.6 million and spending $200,000 of the money on Taylor Swift concert tickets.

46-year-old photographer Chanise Coyne was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to wire fraud over a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving fictional child modeling events.

The charges against the photographer, who is based in New Boston, Michigan, stem from allegations that she collected more than $4.6 million from a family by fraudulently claiming the funds were needed for advance fees related to placing their young daughter in modeling events around the country, for companies like Nike and American Girl.

According to a statement by federal prosecutors, Coyne claimed the fees were to cover expenses like hotel, airfare, clothing and seamstresses and the photographer created false and fraudulent records such as text messages, emails and invoices.

The promised modeling opportunities never materialized, and the daughter was not placed in any shows. Prosecutors say Coyne instead pocketed the money, spending more than $200,000 on Taylor Swift concert tickets in Florida, along with tickets to the Stanley Cup Final, cruises, and gambling.

‘Preyed on a Family’s Trust’

In addition to her five-year prison sentence, the court ordered Coyne to pay $4,669,962.76 in restitution and serve three years on supervised release after completing her custodial sentence.

“Coyne used a child’s aspirations as a smokescreen for a multimillion‑dollar fraud against a family. And when you prey on families, you will pay for it,” United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. says in a statement.

The Detroit Free Press reports that court records show Coyne posed as a talent agent named “Vivian” and as a Nike employee named “Isiah,” who allegedly told the parents he was helping arrange modeling opportunities for their daughter. As the scheme continued, the parents depleted their savings and borrowed money from relatives in an effort to support their daughter’s hopes of pursuing a modeling career. The couple targeted in the scheme have not been publicly identified.

“This was not a mistake or a momentary lapse in judgment. This was a calculated, multi-million-dollar fraud scheme that preyed on a family’s trust and a child’s aspirations for personal financial gain,” Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, says. “Those who build their lifestyle on lies, deception, and stolen money should expect serious consequences. FBI Detroit will continue aggressively pursuing fraudsters who target Michigan families and holding them accountable for every dollar they steal.”

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