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Alanis Morissette’s former business manager gets six years for his embezzlement

By | Published on Thursday 4 May 2017

Alanis Morissette

The former business manager of Alanis Morissette has been jailed for six years after admitting to stealing $7 million dollars from a number of his clients, the bulk of which – almost $5 million – was embezzled from Morissette’s accounts.

Jonathan Schwartz could have been put behind bars for over two decades for his crimes, though his legal reps were pushing for just a year in jail and a second on house arrest. The judge hearing the case followed sentencing guidelines to decide on the six year term.

Representing Schwartz, lawyer Nathan Hochman insisted that his client had shown remorse for his crimes, which he blamed on a gambling addiction. The legal man added, according to The Hollywood Reporter: “The sentence the court orders will be in addition to the lifelong sentence of shame Mr Schwartz will suffer because of his actions”.

Hochman argued that one year in jail and another on home detention, “in addition to the punishments of losing one’s family, job, clients, assets, reputation, and professional licence”, was sufficient to deter anyone else who might be considering setting themselves up as a dodgy business manager in order to steal millions from popstars, and therefore “a lengthy prison sentence is not necessary to achieve this additional deterrence”.

The prosecution, however, showed little sympathy for Schwartz, arguing that the “defendant was sophisticated and highly intelligent”, and that any impact his crimes may have had on his life and career beyond the jail term he will serve wasn’t extra punishment, but simply a “natural consequence” of his actions.

Meanwhile Morissette, who had already knocked back a public apology from her former advisor, at the time adding “I would be apprehensive to believe any words that come out of Jonathan Schwartz’s mouth”, also called for a tough sentence that “sends a crystal clear message” about the seriousness of her former business manager’s crimes.

The judge in the main concurred with the prosecution and Morissette, ignoring Schwartz’s request for leniency and opting for the six year jail term.



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