A Grovetown woman was arrested Monday night for operating a “business” where she would agree to photograph weddings and take the retainer fees.
Juliana Pappalardo, 26, would then cancel or not show for the weddings and would not provide a refund with victims as far away as California, according to Lt. Allison Foster with the Grovetown Department of Public Safety.
Sometimes, she blamed her daughter’s terminal illness for the cancellation, but her daughter is healthy. Other times, she just didn’t show up, Lt. Foster said. She agreed to do weddings in California, Florida, New York and Missouri, as well as other locations.
Pappalardo has been charged with 13 felony counts of theft by taking. She is being held under $66,300 bond.
“Juliana Pappalardo is well known among photography, wedding, and miscellaneous motherhood Facebook pages for the different scams that she has ran,” Lt. Foster said. “She was also arrested at the end of last year by the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for convincing her Facebook following that her infant was terminally ill and running an online boutique in her honor all proceeds would go to medical bills. In reality the child is healthy and Mrs. Pappalardo would take the money without providing the promised merchandise.”
There was an additional bench warrant through BCSO for a failure to appear on this charge.
Monday’s arrest comes after a six-month investigation into the woman’s Facebook business, which went under the name Orange Fox Collective. Lt. Foster called the suspect “a very talented photographer” as well as “very disturbed” for victimizing people on their special days.
DFACS is reportedly involved in placing her children, Lt. Foster said.
