Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart's Personal Shopper Defrauds Comedian Out of More Than $1M: Queens DA

Dylan Jason Syer, 29 and of Long Island City, allegedly charged approximately $923,000 on Hart’s credit cards without authorization, in addition to $240,000 worth of jewelry and watches purchased from a high-end jeweler in California.

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What to Know

  • Kevin Hart's one-time personal shopper was charged with defrauding the comedian out of more than $1 million in fraudulent credit card purchases, the Queens District Attorney announced Wednesday.
  • Dylan Jason Syer, 29 and of Long Island City, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on a 10-count indictment charging him with grand larceny in the first and second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the first and second degree, identity theft in the first degree and scheme to defraud in the first degree for allegedly making the unauthorized charges and purchases using the actor and comedian's credit cards between Oct. 12, 2017 through Feb. 25, 2019, prosecutors say.
  • Syer is set to return to court on Feb. 17. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Attorney information was not immediately known.

Kevin Hart's one-time personal shopper was charged with defrauding the comedian out of more than $1 million in fraudulent credit card purchases, the Queens District Attorney announced Wednesday.

Dylan Jason Syer, 29 and of Long Island City, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on a 10-count indictment charging him with grand larceny in the first and second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the first and second degree, identity theft in the first degree and scheme to defraud in the first degree for allegedly making the unauthorized charges and purchases using the actor and comedian's credit cards between Oct. 12, 2017 through Feb. 25, 2019, prosecutors say.

According to the district attorney's office, Syer first became acquainted with the Hart in 2015 through his personal shopping business, Sire Consulting, LLC, through which he was contracted to buy several items for the actor. It was through this connection that Syer acquired Hart’s credit card numbers with the understanding that he would only use to make authorized purchases. Instead, Syer allegedly made over $1 million of unauthorized charges on those credit cards over the course of 19 months.

In total, Syer allegedly charged approximately $923,000 on Hart’s credit cards without authorization, in addition to $240,000 worth of jewelry and watches purchased from a high-end jeweler in California, the district attorney says. Additionally, Syer is also accused of purchasing fine art and other collectibles worth thousands, and at least 5 Patek Phillipe watches valued at more than $400,000. Among these art and collectible purchases was a Sam Friedman painting, at least 16 Bearbrick collectible dolls, five KAWS collectible dolls, and two Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere bags.

In addition to the criminal charges, the district attorney is also filing an asset forfeiture action against Syer in Civil Court, seeking to seize and ultimately forfeit Syer’s assets up to the amount that he allegedly stole.

“No one is immune to being targeted by fraudsters," District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. "This defendant, who owned a personal shopper business, used legitimate purchases to gain access and then allegedly continued to charge the actor’s credit cards for astronomical sums of money.”

Queens District Attorney's Office
Some of the alleged unauthorized purchases made by Dylan Jason Syer, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.

Katz went on to say, “The defendant thought he was beyond reach and was living out his uber-rich lifestyle fantasies. But my team uncovered the bogus purchases – from the credit card charges being processed by the bank, down to tracking FedEx packages delivered to Syer’s home and business. This should serve as a cautionary tale for everyone. Regardless of whether you are a celebrity or not, anyone can fall victim to this kind of fraud. It is paramount to keep track of your expenses, check your credit reports and diligently keep your financial information to yourself.”

Syer is set to return to court on Feb. 17. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Attorney information was not immediately known.

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