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| Andrew Garson |
Former PR executive Andrew Garson was arrested and charged with wire fraud in connection with multimillion-dollar schemes to defraud two PR firms where he worked and for a subsequent scheme to obtain New York State unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled, according to a suit filed today by Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The suit does not identify the firms that employed Garson, but the allegations cover the period from 2013 to 2018 when he worked as executive VP at MWWPR and VP at Catalyst PR, a unit of WME|IMG (now known as Endeavor).
“As a PR executive, Andrew Garson’s expertise in garnering positive attention for his clients is well-known, even earning him a spot on the "40 Under 40” in a popular industry magazine,” Berman said in a release. “But behind the scenes, Garson allegedly schemed to steal from his employers, eventually costing them over $2M in losses. Andrew Garson has likely generated his own (negative) publicity, and now faces the possibility of serious jail time in federal prison.”
Philip Bartlett, inspector-in-charge at the US Postal Inspection Service, added: “As alleged, Mr. Garson’s arrogance and disrespect for his employers and the rule of law was on full display in this case. He allegedly lied and stole from his employers to feed his greed and fund his personal endeavors. Mr. Garson may have plenty of time to utilize his keen PR skills if convicted of the charges.”
Garson is charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Click here to read the release from the Southern District of New York.
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