A former high-profile public relations executive in New York City accused of seducing celebrities in a sprawling “Ponzi-like scheme” pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to defraud his employers of millions of dollars, the Authorities with.

Andrew Garson, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a deal that would see him pay more than $3.7 million to his victims, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He also faces up to 20 years in prison.

The ex-manager who was named PR weekU.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who was on the 2018 “Top 40 Under 40” list, “has consistently betrayed his employers,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. Garson repeatedly deceived his company into paying expenses he incurred while working at his previous company and used company credit cards for large personal expenses, including a $14,000 luxury watch.

“Garson’s fraud scheme was varied and manipulative, and he has now admitted to greedily exploiting the trust of his employers to line his own pockets,” the prosecutor said.

A year after the 41-year-old was indicted by Williams’ office in October 2019, he was hit with a $10 million lawsuit from MWW Group, a Manhattan public relations firm, alleging he had her Defrauded of $2.5 million while working as executive vice president of sports and entertainment projects.

The company alleged that it was actually, as prosecutors stated in their indictment, tricked into paying suppliers that Garson had worked with in his previous job at Catalyst Public Relations. But he was also accused of going even further with his double-dealing.

In his complaint from November 2020, MWW Group alleged that Garson concocted “over-budgeted” and in some cases completely “fictitious” marketing campaigns and then convinced stars like Megan Fox and Mindy Kaling to take part in projects that MWW had not approved. The stunned company then barely had to respond when the talent sent letters demanding to be paid for their work – in Kaling’s case, saying she had been paid $1.75 million for a Barefoot Wine campaign would be owed.

The company also said that Garson somehow “gained control” of its accounts receivable department by redirecting payments that were supposed to go to MWW back to Catalyst and “paying off balances that he incurred while working at the other company from 2014 through January.” had accumulated in 2018”.

He was fired from MWW in November 2018 when the company uncovered “certain aspects of the fraud scheme,” Williams said. According to prosecutors, Garson then lied to the government about why he was fired in order to receive more than $5,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.

Garson is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2024. The civil lawsuit against him is still ongoing.