Brides Demand the FBI Give Back Their Wedding Videos

Dozens of brides have been waiting more than a year for their wedding footage after the FBI seized a popular videographer’s hard drives.

Jeremy Merkel, who works professionally under his middle name, Jeremy Scott, built a strong reputation as a wedding videographer for clients across the U.S. His video company was reportedly among those honoured with TheKnot.com’s annual “Best of Weddings” award in 2021 and 2022, which recognizes leading wedding vendors nationwide.

In February 2025, Merkel, who lived and worked out of a home on Green Glen Drive in Boardman, Ohio, where he created content for couples, had his property raided by the FBI. Multiple agents from the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation were seen removing items on February 19, including what appeared to be a Mac computer. At the time, an FBI spokesperson said the action was tied to a search warrant and described it as “court-authorized law enforcement activity.”

Following the raid, Merkel’s social media accounts went offline in late July, and his business was marked on Google as “permanently closed.” The wedding videographer later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing at least 52 customers who paid more than $6,000 but never received their content because “work could not be completed due to seizure of Debtor equipment” by the FBI. The investigation is still reportedly ongoing.

According to a report by Ohio-based news outlet Local 12, brides are still waiting to receive their wedding videos. Danielle Hogue, a bride who has not received footage from her wedding day, has shared her experience with the news outlet in the hope it will encourage the FBI to release the portion of evidence that contains her video.

“I had never in my wildest dreams thought that that would be something that could happen to me,” Hogue tells Local 12. “It’s something so awful.”

“I did my homework for all of our vendors,” Hogue adds. “I made sure that I liked their work but also what others had to say about working with each person as well—and Jeremy was exactly one of those as well. And phenomenal reviews.”

The FBI tells Local 12 many items that were seized cannot be returned at this time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and until the United States Attorney’s Office makes a charging decision. At this time, Merkel has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

 

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.