Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge yesterday announced a nearly $200,000 judgment against a photographer who failed to deliver photographs to customers who paid upfront for his services.

Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox ordered Jonathan Funk Photography, LLC, to pay $98,625 in restitution, $100,000 in civil penalties, and $1,135 in filing fees and service costs. Jonathan Funk was also ordered to transfer never-delivered images to consumers (two hard drives containing thousands of digitals files of photographs were acquired after the state initially charged Funk in 2018).


“Photographs of some of life’s most precious events will finally be given to their rightful owners where they can be appreciated and shared,” said Rutledge in a prepared statement. “Arkansans who pay for photography services at their weddings or other special events expect to get what they pay for, but companies like Jonathan Funk Photography who act dishonestly will not be tolerated in Arkansas.”

The attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against Jonathan Funk Photography after receiving 54 complaints that they never received photographs after paying for them. The business offered photography services such as portraits of newborns and photographs of special events. The lawsuit alleged that the company would pressure consumers to pay up front to get a discount for photography packages costing around $2,000; then when consumers tried to get in touch to get their photographs, Funk would continually blow off consumers and make excuses, never delivering.


Here’s the press release from the attorney general’s office: