Alanis Morissette’s former manager has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing $7m (£5.4m) from the pop singer and other celebrities.
Jonathan Schwartz admitted stealing $5m (£3.9m) from Morissette between 2010 and 2014 and $2m (£1.6m) from five other unnamed clients.
Morissette testified in Los Angeles on Wednesday, saying he “not only stole $5m in cash from me, he stole a dream”.
Judge Dolly Gee exceeded the 63-month sentence requested by prosecutors.
“In the past I’ve criticised the sentencing guidelines as draconian, but this is a rare instance in which I feel they’re not harsh enough,” she said, according to Variety.
Morissette, who made her name in 1995 with the album Jagged Little Pill, told the court her ability to trust “has been shaken to the core” by Schwartz’s deception.
She recalled how he would burst into tears when she confronted him about her finances, “taking advantage of my empathic nature”.
He covered his tracks by telling other associates she had irresponsible spending habits, claiming she built recording studios and bought houses against his advice.
“I’d go on tours he recommended and they would lose money, but he’d still urge me to spend! Spend! Spend! He was creating an alibi from the start,” she said.
Schwartz, 47, pled guilty in January to wire fraud and falsifying federal tax returns.
He wrote an open letter in The Hollywood Reporter last month, saying he was a gambling addict and turned to drugs to deal with the stress of the job.
He wrote: “At first, I ‘borrowed’ a little from clients, with the hopes that I would pay them back if I won that night’s bet. That snowballed, and as I kept losing, I kept stealing.”
He added: “I let everybody down, and for that I will spend the rest of my life asking for forgiveness and making amends to everyone I have hurt.”
His attorney had requested a sentence of 12 months and a day of prison and 12 months home detention, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
But Judge Dolly Gee handed down a much harsher penalty, concluding he was motivated by “greed” and a desire to live beyond his means.
–
Source: BBC
