Alanis Morissette’s former business manager has admitted to stealing nearly $7 million from her and other celebrities, agreeing to plead guilty to federal charges, according to prosecutors.
48 year old Jonathan Todd Schwartz of Los Angeles, previously a representative for the likes of Beyonce and Mariah Carey, admitted to stealing and embezzling nearly $5 million from Canadian singer Morissette between May 2010 and January 2014.
He used the money for his own purposes, falsely listing the sums as ‘sundry / personal expenses’ to cover up the crime. When eventually confronted, he reportedly lied by saying that he had invested the money in an illegal marijuana-growing business on Morissette’s behalf.
Alanis Morissette’s business manager stole around $5 million from her
Morissette discovered the impropriety when she left Schwartz for a new business manager, who realised that millions of dollars were missing. Schwartz also admitted to stealing $2.3 million from five other clients, whose names were not listed in court documents.
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Nathan Hochmann, defending Schwartz, said that his client had co-operated fully and accepted responsibility for his actions. The plea deal he’s hammered out calls for a period of four to six years’ imprisonment, although the judge in the case has the discretion to sentence him for up to 23 years. His court appearance is scheduled for February 1st.
Schwartz worked at GSO Business Management, which has had entertainers such as Katy Perry, 50 Cent and Tom Petty on its client roster. When Morissette’s new business manager contacted GSO, the firm reviewed Schwartz’s other work and discovered more instances of financial impropriety, and it is the firm who filed the lawsuit against him.
Morissette settled a lawsuit against both GSO and Schwartz back in 2016, and her publicist had no further comment regarding the current status of the case.
“This was shocking and disappointing,” GSO’s lawyer Chris Reeder said. “The company is very happy he’s being brought to justice and held accountable for his actions.”
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