Brian Kim, founder and operator of the hedge fund Liquid Capital Management LLC, pleaded guilty to grand larceny after being accused by Manhattan prosecutors of running a $6 million Ponzi scheme.

Kim entered the plea yesteday before Justice Charles Solomon of New York State Supreme court in Manhattan, admitting nine of 26 counts against him. The punishment for the most serious is as much as 25 years in prison. Sentencing was set for April 20.

Kim, 36, who fled overseas when he was about to be tried in another case, was taken into custody in October 2011 by authorities in Hong Kong.