'Wedding Scammer' identified; total losses for Houston couples top $186,000

WILLIS, Texas - The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says they have launched an investigation into multiple cases of theft by deception involving a man who is fraudulently posing as the owner of a Willis wedding venue.

FOX 26 broke the story that launched an official investigation. 

Who is Lance Miller?

According to the sheriff’s office, a person operating under the alias "Lance Miller" has been in contact with people interested in reserving the Charleston Lane Wedding Venue located on Kingston Cove Lane in Willis.

The sheriff’s office says he is not the owner or operator of the venue but has been soliciting large amounts of money via wire transfer, cash, and other payment apps for these "bookings".

Lt. Scott Spencer with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says they believe Miller started defrauding people using the venue in June 2024. At that time, they indicate Miller was renting the venue, but say he was evicted in February, but continued to book weddings. 

"This is more than a financial crime. These are people planning the most important days of their lives," said Spencer. 

FOX 26 has spoken to multiple victims who have booked with Miller since his eviction, saying he won't return texts, calls or emails.  

"It's like he disappeared," said Myoshi Allen, a victim who interviewed for another previous story. 

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office dives deep 

Spencer says they've been in contact with 16 people so far alleging fraud against Miller, and those are preliminary numbers. 

"Since this has gone to the media - and thank you for that, we've been contacted by so many victims," he said. 

He says they have several investigators combing through almost a year of data, trying to track every move of their person of interest.

"These scam artists are getting braver, and they're getting smarter," he said. 

They're releasing the alias ‘Lance Miller’, because that's the name Spencer says this man used to con people, but they believe it's not his real name. 

‘The Wedding Scammer’ podcast, hosted by Justin Sayles, alleges Miller has a long list of aliases and has been using them to con people for years through multiple states. 

"There were three or four different companies in Los Angeles, companies in San Francisco," said Justin Sayles, the podcast host. "A lot of the Charleston Lane stuff like that came out after the podcast because it wrapped in 2023."

Spencer says they're aware of these allegations and are broadening the investigation because of it. 

"We're also looking into other states and the history of this individual, all that will be wrapped together and presented to a district attorney's office," he said. "Just know we are working as hard as we can and as diligently as we can to bring all of those to justice."

FOX 26 has been in contact with 16 possible victims as well. It's unclear if our list overlaps with investigators at this point. The total losses for these victims verified through documentation is now $186,408. 

The backstory:

In March, FOX 26 broke the story of a Houston bride who lost more than $50,000 after showing up to the venue the day before her wedding to locked doors.

After the story aired, the Montgomery County District Attorney confirmed that the sheriff's office launched an investigation into the matter.

A follow-up story featured more victims coming forward telling similar tales of unfulfilled services, locked doors and bounced refund checks.

Detectives trying to find potential victims

What's next:

The sheriff’s office urges any potential victims to come forward by contacting detectives at (936) 538-8393. Reference case number 25A151828.

FOX 26's Abigail Dye broke this story and is continuing to investigate. If you have any information about or experience with Lance Miller, you can contact her at abigail.dye@fox.com. 

Crime and Public SafetyMontgomery County