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SUMMIT COUNTY -- A woman who spent time in jail five years ago for a cancer charity scam is now accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an Arizona couple who hired her as a wedding planner.
Tania Clark, 37, is accused of taking nearly $30,000 from the engaged couple with the promise she was planning them a spectacular wedding. Instead, officials say she used a stolen credit card to book the Canyons Resort as the venue, the photographer and other wedding items.
Officials with the Summit County Sheriff's Office arrested Clark Friday night on the eve of the couple's wedding. Investigators say the Canyons Resort was the first to catch on to her scam when the credit card Clark gave them was denied.
"That's a terrible situation," said Detective Ron Bridge. "Instead of celebrating their marriage, they're dealing with a criminal complaint in Summit County."
The stolen card belongs to a Park City couple who didn't know Clark and had no idea what was going on. Detectives say Clark did a lot of damage before she was caught.
That's a terrible situation. Instead of celebrating their marriage, they're dealing with a criminal complaint in Summit County.
–Det. Ron Bridge
"She took $28,000 from the couple in Arizona. They were hoping she was planning their wedding and not defrauding them," said Bridge. "Then the couple here in Park City who had their credit card stolen, that charge was $21,000."
As for the Arizona couple -- their wedding did take place Saturday, with the help of the Canyons Resort. They exchanged vows in front of about 150 people and then celebrated with dinner and dancing.
Resort officials say they're working with the couple by delaying payment dates and other details. "We just want to make sure the couple has what they planned on and that was a beautiful wedding in a beautiful location," says Libby Dowd, director of public relations at the Canyons.
Clark served a month in jail in 2005 after she told friends and family she was dying of cancer and needed a bone marrow transplant. She scammed about $16,000 out of various people and organizations -- including her son's school.
In this case, Clark faces a series of communication fraud charges. KSL looked into Clark's background and found a number of financial cases, tax liens and debt collections.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
