April 3, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Former HBO Manager Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Fraud, Tax Charges

Courtesy image.
Courtesy image.

A former manager in HBO’s Talent Relations Department agreed to plead guilty to federal charges alleging she stole about $1 million from the network by submitting bogus invoices, court documents filed today show.

Jennifer Choi, 38, of Valley Village, will plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.

Choi worked for nearly 10 years at HBO, where she was responsible for scheduling services — such as hair-styling, wardrobe and make-up — for actors associated with the network.

Using a company she created called Shine Glossy, Choi submitted bogus invoices to HBO for style and make-up services for actors, prosecutors allege.

However, the services were never actually provided, and HBO funds instead went directly into a bank account she had established, prosecutors allege.

Through Shine Glossy, Choi submitted nearly 300 fraudulent invoices that led HBO to pay about $940,000, according to court papers.

“Ms. Choi has admitted to bilking her employer out of nearly a million dollars through a fraud scheme that used a fake company that provided no services,” said Eileen M. Decker, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

“This long-term scheme violated both her duty to her employer as well as federal law, and Ms. Choi now faces serious consequences beyond losing her job,” Decker said.

Choi also admitted in a plea agreement that she used a car service for herself, her family and her friends and provided HBO’s account information, which led the car service to bill HBO for the unauthorized rides totaling nearly $63,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Choi was terminated by HBO in September 2014.

“The defendant stole $1 million from her employer by concocting a scheme to conceal her misdeeds — enriching herself by choosing greed over good judgment,” said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who engage in this kind of financial fraud are held accountable.”

In her plea agreement, Choi also admitted that she failed to file federal income tax returns for several years, even though she earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years 2011, 2013 and 2014. She also admitted significantly under-reporting her income when she did file tax returns for the years 2010 and 2012, according to the government.

Choi is expected to make her first court appearance on Feb. 19. If convicted as charged at trial, Choi would face up to 45 years in prison, although prosecutors believe that her actual sentence will be significantly less than that.

The actual sentence will be determined solely by the judge presiding over the case.

Related Posts

Scoop Dreams Come True: Van Leeuwen Launches New Beverly Hills Shop

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Van Leeuwen’s Beverly Hills Opening Comes With Sweet Perks Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a New York City-born brand celebrated for...

WeHo’s WeHappy Wednesdays Serve Up Big Discounts In Addition to Zero Parking Fees

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Free Parking and $5 Cocktails? WeHo Makes Wednesdays Worth It The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Chamber...

Saijo Hand Roll Rolls into Culver City with Premium Japanese Ingredients

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Binchotan-Fired Perfection: Saijo Rolls Out Premium Sushi in West LA A new destination for hand rolls and Japanese culinary craftsmanship...

(Video) Check Out Bernie’s, a New Pop Up at Citizen Public Market in Culver City

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Made with fresh frozen fruit and a toasted merengue topping these flavors are irresistible. The pop up will be at...

From Cocktails to Coffee: U.S. Tariffs Threaten Imports, Jobs, and Your Grocery Bill

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Major Price Hikes Expected for Coffee, Wine, Chocolate, and Butter  A sweeping new set of tariffs announced by former President...

Levain Bakery to Open Venice Location with Special Guests and Charitable Twist

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Bigger Than a Cookie: Levain’s Venice Opening Is a Flavorful Fundraiser Levain Bakery, the cult-favorite cookie destination founded in New...

LAX Airport Server Finds Hate-Filled Message From Unidentified Diners

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Waiter Says He Was Stunned by the Message Left by Customers Guillermo Ortiz, who works at Planet Hollywood inside the...

Sunset Strip Staple Le Petit Four Shuts Down After Landlord Pulls the Plug

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

End of an Era: Le Petit Four Forced to Close in West Hollywood In a stunning reversal to the upbeat...

Metro LA Pushes Back Sepulveda Transit Community Meetings

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Environmental Review Delay Prompts Metro to Reschedule  Metro announced that community meetings scheduled for early April to discuss the Sepulveda...

WeHo Unveils ‘WeHappy Wednesdays’ to Support Shops and Restaurants

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

New West Hollywood Plan Makes Midweek Outings Easier and Cheaper In a bid to boost foot traffic and economic recovery...

County Board Approves New Homeless Agency, Redirecting Millions from Existing System

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

With Billions on the Line, LA County Moves to Centralize Homeless Response Los Angeles County is making a dramatic shift...

Put the Phone Down: LAPD and CHP Targets Distracted Drivers in April Crackdown

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Hands-Free Law Violations Could Now Cost You More Than Just a Fine Throughout April, the Los Angeles Police Department will...

Kim Delaney, Partner Cleared After Weekend Arrest in Marina del Rey

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Emmy-Winning Actress and Partner James Morgan Released Kim Delaney, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her roles in NYPD Blue and...

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/HneRcysYh5 For Tickets and More Information. #amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...