Kevin Hart's personal shopper has been charged with stealing $1million from the actor
Kevin Hart’s former personal shopper has been charged with stealing $1million (£730,000) from the US actor.
Dylan Jason Syer has been accused of making unauthorised purchases using Hart’s credit cards between October 2017 and February 2019.
According to court documents, he has been charged with grand larceny, criminal possession, identity theft and scheme to defraud.
If convicted, Syer, from Long Island City in New York, faces up to 25 years in prison. He is due to return to court on February 17.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the defendant legitimately gained access to the actor’s credit cards, but then allegedly continued to use them to spend “astronomical sums of money”.
Syer is alleged to have bought items including Louis Vuitton bags and Patek Philippe watches, which he posted pictures of on Instagram.
Ms Katz said it should act as a “cautionary tale for everyone” to “keep track of your expenses, check your credit reports and diligently keep your financial information to yourself”.
Hart earned $39m (£28m) from his acting, comedy and sponsorships in 2020, according to Forbes.
Last month, Hart signed an exclusive film deal with Netflix, to star in and produce at least four separate films for the streaming service through his production banner, HartBeat Productions.
Meanwhile, it was previously announced that Hart and Wesley Snipes had been cast as brothers in Netflix miniseries True Story, separately from his current deal.
Hart, who is also producing, will play a version of himself called Kid, opposite Snipes as Kid’s older brother Carlton.
The plot synopsis of True Story reads: “A tour stop in Kid’s hometown of Philadelphia becomes a matter of life and death for one of the world’s most famous comedians when the consequences of a lost evening with his wayward older brother threaten to destroy everything he’s built.”