Former Morissette Biz Manager To Plead Guilty

Alanis Morissette’s former business manager has agreed to plea guilty to two felonies that carry a maximum of 23 years in federal prison.

Chris McKay / WireImage.com – Alanis Morissette
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, Ga.

Federal prosecutors say Jonathan Schwartz admitted to taking nearly $5 million from Morissette and $1.7 million from two other clients. Prosecutors claimed Schwartz embezzled more than $6.5 million from the singer/songwriter.

Morissette sued Schwartz last year but dropped the lawsuit. She claimed breach of contract, suing him and his company, GSO, for $15 million, and replaced him with business manager Howard Grossman.

Schwartz had handled the singer’s financial accounts from 2009 to 2016. Grossman found 116 suspicious withdrawals adding up to $4.6 million, according to the complaint. When confronted, Schwartz allegedly said the transfers were made to fund an “investment” in a marijuana-growing business for the singer, according to the BBC, and he added that the transfers were to avoid Morissette’ s trips to the bank because she “spends a lot of cash.”

The singer denied both claims. Meanwhile, Schwartz’s own company, GSO, sued him when it said it was “shocked” by the results of an internal investigation.

“This investigation revealed that Mr. Schwartz was burning through money to sustain a lavish lifestyle, including a $50,000 vacation to Bora Bora and an outstanding gambling debt of $75,000 at a casino in the Bahamas,” GSO’s complaint said. “He also owes the U.S. government a substantial sum for unpaid taxes.”

The guilty plea is scheduled to be entered Feb. 1. Schwartz would serve four to six years in prison under the plea deal.