Photographer Chanise Coyne Sentenced to Five Years for $4.6M Fraud Involving Fake Child Modeling Events
Chanise Coyne, a 46-year-old photographer from New Boston, Michigan, has received a five-year federal prison sentence for wire fraud. She swindled a family out of over $4.6 million by inventing child modeling events. Coyne falsely claimed the funds were for modeling advances with companies like Nike and American Girl, using fake emails, texts, and invoices to back her story. Instead, she funneled the money for herself, spending more than $200,000 on Taylor Swift concert tickets, Stanley Cup Final tickets, cruises, and gambling. The court has ordered her to pay $4,669,962.76 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. and FBI Special Agent Jennifer Runyan condemned her actions as a deliberate fraud scheme.
Key facts
- Chanise Coyne, 46, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for wire fraud.
- Coyne defrauded a family out of more than $4.6 million by claiming funds were for child modeling events.
- She spent over $200,000 on Taylor Swift concert tickets in Florida, plus on Stanley Cup Final tickets, cruises, and gambling.
- Coyne created false records, including text messages, emails, and invoices.
- She posed as a talent agent named 'Vivian' and a Nike employee named 'Isiah'.
- The court ordered $4,669,962.76 in restitution and three years of supervised release.
- The family depleted savings and borrowed money to support their daughter's modeling aspirations.
- The FBI Detroit Field Office and United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. commented on the case.
Entities
Artists
- Chanise Coyne
- Taylor Swift
- Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
- Jennifer Runyan
Institutions
- Nike
- American Girl
- FBI Detroit Field Office
- Detroit Free Press
- PetaPixel
Locations
- New Boston
- Michigan
- United States
- Florida
- Detroit