February 12, 2021
A personal shopper hired by Kevin Hart has been charged with defrauding the Philly native of $1.2 million through unauthorized credit card purchases.
Dylan Jason Syer, 29, of Queens, allegedly used the comedian's credit cards to purchase high-end jewelry and fashion items, including two Louis Vuitton bags and five Patek Philippe watches, and an array of fine art and collectibles, including a Sam Friedman painting, 16 Bearbrick dolls and five KAWS figures.
Syer was charged Wednesday with grand larceny, identity theft and criminal possession of stolen property. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Hart hired Syer in 2015 to make personal purchases, providing him access to his credit card information. Syer ran a personal shopping business, Sire Consulting.
Syer initially made legitimate purchases for Hart, but eventually began using his cards to buy expensive items for himself, Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz said. The alleged fraudulent purchases were made between 2017 and 2019.
"The defendant thought he was beyond reach and was living out his uber-rich lifestyle
fantasies," Katz said. "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."
Syer posted photos of some of the items to his Instagram account, Katz said.
Bearbrick dolls and KAWS figurines often sell for thousands of dollars. A 20-foot KAWS sculpture, titled "What Party," caused a stir last October when it was installed outside the Seagram Building in Midtown Manhattan.
‘WHAT PARTY’ by KAWS currently on display at the Seagram Building Plaza 🧑🚀 pic.twitter.com/geBEWQ7YeH
— SAINT (@saint) October 9, 2020
Prosecutors also filed an asset forfeiture action against Syer "seeking to seize, restrain and ultimately forfeit" his assets up to the amount he allegedly stole. Police seized $250,000 in cash and items from Syer's home when they arrested him Wednesday.
"I want to send a strong message to the defendant and others who seek financial gain through the victimization of others, that my team and I are committed to aggressively pursuing these actions and separating those who commit crimes from their ill-gotten gains, and returning those funds, where practical, to support the victims," Katz said.
Follow Allie & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @allie___miller | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Allie's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
