A metro Detroit woman is facing federal charges in connection with an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme tied to supposed child modeling opportunities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced that Chanise Coyne, 46, of New Boston, has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
Prosecutors allege Coyne obtained more than $4.6 million from a family by claiming the funds were needed to cover advance fees for their young daughter to participate in modeling events nationwide. According to the indictment, Coyne created falsified documents showing the child’s supposed placement in events and allegedly impersonated a third party to support the scheme.
Authorities say a substantial portion of the money was spent on gambling, including multiple transactions on the FanDuel platform, which are cited in the money laundering charges.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon condemned the alleged conduct, stating that fraud schemes exploiting family bonds are particularly egregious. He alleged the defendant stole a family’s savings and gambled it away.
Following news of the indictment, other metro Detroit families have come forward claiming similar experiences. Tricia Furnari, who created a Facebook group titled “Chanice Coyne Scam Victims” in 2024, said membership in the group surged after the federal charges were announced.
Furnari said she initially hired Coyne for holiday photos in 2023 and paid in advance for another session in 2024. However, she claims repeated cancellations followed, with various explanations provided. After she publicly shared her concerns and media inquiries were made, Furnari said her approximately $400 payment was refunded.
Another former client, Meagen Hudson, reported losing $375 after booking photography sessions that were repeatedly canceled. Hudson said she was offered credits instead of refunds and cited numerous explanations given for the cancellations.
Both women said they were shocked by the scale of the alleged $4.6 million fraud outlined in the indictment.
Coyne and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment. The case remains pending in federal court.
