Marisza Zembik, also known as Marisza Cottam, appeared in Airdrie Court of Justice this morning on a charge of fraud over $5,000, following a 2023 investigation into her now-closed bridal business.
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Zembik has been charged under section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code. The charge was laid after Airdrie RCMP received complaints from dozens of customers of Taffeta and Tulle Bridal, which closed in July 2023.
In a written statement to DiscoverAirdrie, RCMP confirmed the charge was based on complaints related to the former bridal business and that 36 complainants were identified. Police said the matter is now before the courts.
Taffeta and Tulle Bridal's former website and promotional materials listed Zembik as the store's dress designer and customer contact. A public LinkedIn profile under the name Marisza Cottam lists her as "Owner" of Taffeta and Tulle Bridal. The store is now listed as "Permanently closed" on Google Business, and its website is no longer active.
Multiple customers previously told Discover Airdrie that Zembik was their point of contact for payments and design consultations at the boutique.
One of the complainants, Beckie Ryan, said she paid nearly $4,500 for a custom wedding gown and two custom bridesmaid dresses. The Airdrie resident said she chose the store because of its location and personalized service.
"I live in Airdrie, I work in Airdrie, I shop in Airdrie. So to me, it was a no-brainer to go to Marisza at Taffeta and Tulle and look for a custom dress," Ryan said. "She had all of the right answers, and she drew up a sketch and incorporated everything that I had wanted."
Ryan said she paid in full by e-transfer in early 2023 and was told the gown would be ready by June. But when the date came and went without contact, she and other brides began to raise concerns.
"There was a few of us brides that collectively said, 'You know what? This is obviously not right.' So we all individually went to the RCMP and we all formally gave our complaints," she said. "That's when they started gathering evidence."
Ryan said she submitted transaction records, her invoice, and documentation to RCMP showing that the gown was never delivered. She also contacted a manufacturer she believed the business worked with overseas.
"We ended up finding out who the manufacturer of the dresses were in China, and I had reached out to them to see if she had even placed the order. And they had said no record of a dress that even remotely looked like the one that I was describing."
At the time of her order, Ryan said she believed the dresses were being made locally.
"I was under the impression that she was going to be buying the fabric and that she had the patterns, and she would be making it," she said. "It would have been nice to know, but as long as we could still modify it... then somewhat custom to what I wanted."
According to Ryan, RCMP later contacted her to confirm that Zembik had been charged and released.
"They did send me an email stating that as a victim of this crime, that they are informing me that they formally have charged her," she said. "They didn't have a strong enough case for all of us individually, so they collectively put all of our complaints together as one, and charged her that way."
DiscoverAirdrie asked RCMP to confirm that specific detail; police did not elaborate beyond confirming the charge and total number of complainants.
Ryan said she attempted to contact the business before filing her police report.
"She did not reach out to me. I did, however, reach out to her... I did question her around whether or not my dress had even been ordered or if I could get a refund," she said. "She really didn't have anything to say besides the fact that she knew exactly who I was because she saw my interview on TV."
Despite the financial and emotional impact, Ryan said she continues to support small businesses.
"I still very much support local and small business... I'm part of the small business Airdrie community. I sponsor, and I am quite involved with SmartStart. So I support Airdrie 100 per cent."
She also said she saw no early warning signs when she visited the studio.
"I went to her studio. She had a lineup of dresses. She had material swatches, she had colour swatches," she said. "It really very much appeared as though she was still 100 per cent functioning and in business."
Ryan said she cannot afford to pursue civil legal action, though she wishes she could.
"She gets to continue to walk away instead of taking ownership, right?" she said. "In that regard, it is frustrating, and I'll probably, to some degree, be bitter about it for a while... We don't have copious amounts of money sitting around, and weddings are expensive."
DiscoverAirdrie reached out to Zembik for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
The case was adjourned till June.
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