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Police Arrest Wedding Planner Accused Of Scamming Brides
POSTED: 9:20 pm EDT July 30,
2008
UPDATED: 12:17 am EDT July 31,
2008
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A wedding planner who police said robbed brides of their dream weddings to line her own pockets was arrested on Wednesday.Patricia Khasbatova has been accused of scamming brides out of thousands of dollars by using a con that investigators in Jacksonville said she's been working for years.Nearly two months after newlywed and former Khasbatova client Ashley Veasley talked to Channel 4 about her nightmarish experience with the wedding planner, Khasbatova was charged with organized fraud.
Veasley said after paying Khasbatova thousands of dollars, she thought everything was set for her big day. However, about 48 hours before her wedding, she learned almost nothing was ready."I could not believe it, it was an absolute shock to me," said Veasley.She said she gave Khasbatova $15,000 to pull off her dream wedding in May. However, two days before taking the plunge, Veasley said Khasbatova sent a letter backing out.Nothing, Veasley said, had been taken care of for her wedding."There were 360 guests that I had to let know the wedding had moved to a different location. I had to do all of that in one day," Veasley said.Veasley was not alone in her bad experience. Steve Siegel, who works for the state attorney's office, has been investigating Khasbatova and her business, Princess and Company, for months.He said his office has received dozens of complaints. Also, according to the Better Business Bureau, 17 complaints have been filled against Khasbatova's company in the past two years."If 15, 20, 25 people are all saying the same thing, it's more than just being a bad business person," Siegel said.On Wednesday afternoon, investigators escorted Khasbatova into the Duval County Jail.As she walked into the jail, Khasbatova said she has contracts and receipts."I have contracts that were signed by them. I have receipts for the money I spent. It started out with one problem, and then everybody fed off that," Khasbatova said.Nonetheless, the wedding planner's arrest made Veasley very happy."As you can see by the smile on my face, that makes me very happy," Veasley said.Investigators said Khasbatova scammed more than $40,000. If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in jail.
Copyright 2008 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2008 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.









