Man Known as the ‘Wedding Scammer’ Charged After Being Accused of Defrauding Unsuspecting Clients Out of More Than $200K

A man has been charged after allegedly scamming several couples who were planning to get married in Texas.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that Carl John Butcho II was arrested the day before “on a warrant related to a major theft case investigated that occurred in Montgomery County.”

The man, also called the “Wedding Scammer” by Fox 26 Houston, faces charges of Theft of Property valued between $150,000 and $300,000.

Authorities said, “Butcho’s arrest is the result of an extensive investigation into fraudulent activities conducted under the alias ‘Lance Miller,’ in which he posed as the owner and manager of the Charleston Lane Wedding Venue in Willis, TX.”

Charleston Lane is now listed as permanently closed online, and its website has been removed.

PEOPLE reached out to the email listed on the company’s Facebook page, but the address came back as “not found.”

The wedding venue’s last Facebook post was in November 2024, and their last Instagram post was in February.

Butcho was allegedly paid $202,424.90 for the weddings of 12 couples, even though the ceremonies never happened, authorities said.

“An additional five victims who did have weddings at the venue reported not getting promised refunds for problems, adding $11,450 in losses,” officials said.

Butcho was taken to Travis County Jail and given a $100,000 bond.

The bond rules include: “No contact with victims; GPS monitoring before release; surrender of his passport; and prohibition from working in wedding or event planning businesses.”

He also faces other charges in Travis County, including False Statement to Obtain Property or Credit and Fraudulent Securing of Document Execution.

Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said, “This arrest shows the dedication of our investigators and cooperation between agencies. These victims trusted someone who took advantage of their special day, and we are committed to making sure justice is served. Our office will keep going after people who prey on others in our community.”

Officials thanked the public for helping with the investigation.

Anyone with more information or who “believes they may have been affected by this case” should call 936-538-8393 and mention case number 25A151828.