North Carolina photographers face felony charges for failure to provide services
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The owners of a Raleigh-area wedding photography company accused of taking thousands of dollars from couples without providing promised services faced a judge in Forsyth County, according to ABC 11. Christopher Ayscue and Holly Scott Ayscue, owners of Holly Christina Photography, appeared in court on a criminal charge of obtaining property by false pretense. The couple earned national attention for their amount of disappointed brides and grooms, including from the popular PhotoStealers blog. The charge stems from a complaint involving Morgan Bales and her husband, who say they paid Holly Christina Photography more than $5,600 to photograph and document their wedding. According to the allegations, no one from the company showed up on their wedding day.
Earlier this year, when ABC11 began investigating Holly Christina Photography, the company said on social media that it was dealing with a serious and unexpected medical emergency. The company later announced it was closing because of unforeseen circumstances. When Wilson asked Holly Ayscue about what happened, she said, “I feel very bad about everything that’s happened. This, that was my whole world; my business was my world. I care about my clients. I’ve always cared about my clients. I got sick, my business failed because I was in the hospital, and there are records to prove that. So I want that to be known.” Wilson replied that she understood and asked whether the couples who had their weddings photographed by Holly Christina Photography will ever see those photographs and video.
The criminal case is not the only legal action facing the Ayscues. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office has filed a civil lawsuit against the couple and Holly Christina Photography. The Attorney General’s Office says it received more than 217 complaints from customers alleging approximately $1 million in financial losses. Wilson was the first to bring you the story of frustrated couples saying they paid thousands of dollars for wedding photography and videography services, only to say the company stopped responding, failed to deliver photos or videos, or did not show up for their wedding. Both Ayscues asked the court to appoint a public defender to represent them. They did not enter pleas Monday. The couple is scheduled to return to court later this month.
The report from ABC 11:
