DETROIT, MI — A New Boston woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after admitting she helped carry out a fraud scheme built around fake child modeling opportunities. Federal prosecutors said Chanise Coyne, 46, took more than $4.6 million from a local family by claiming the money was needed for advance fees tied to their daughter’s participation in modeling events around the country.
The sentence follows Coyne’s guilty plea to wire fraud. Court records say she also created phony text messages, emails, and invoices to make the setup look legitimate. Prosecutors said the child was never placed in any modeling event and that the money did not go toward the services Coyne promised.
How the modeling pitch was used to take millions from one family
According to federal court records, Coyne told the family the payments would cover advance costs for their young daughter to take part in modeling events nationwide. The arrangement was presented as a real opportunity, and Coyne reinforced that claim with fake paperwork designed to look like normal business communication.
That paperwork included text messages, emails, and invoices. Those records were part of the fraud, prosecutors said, because they gave the appearance that the child had been accepted into the events. In reality, none of the money was used to place the girl in modeling, and the family was left with a loss that federal authorities say exceeded $4.6 million.
Federal prosecutors say the money went to gambling and luxury spending
Instead of covering modeling-related costs, prosecutors said Coyne used the money for herself. Court records say significant amounts went to gambling, while other spending showed how far the stolen funds drifted from the supposed purpose of the payments…