A Waltham man recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded hundreds of customers of the now-defunct Tom Harper Cruises, of more than $2 million in cruise trip deposits.

Bret A. Gordon pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud and two counts of filing a false personal tax return.

Gordon in 2013 established and owned a 65 percent interest in Tom Harper Cruises, a business selling overseas river cruise vacations. Gordon took money from the company’s account for his personal use through gambling.

Tom Harper Cruises closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy in June 2015. Between September 2013 and June 2015, Gordon took about $2,258,500 from Tom Harper Cruise’s accounts for his own use. About 400 customers did not receive the trips they planned for, after paying Tom Harper Cruises a total of approximately $3,167,128.

Gordon also failed to report the money he had taken as income on his personal income tax returns. He failed to report about $165,000 that he received in tax year 2013, and about $900,000 that he had taken in tax year 2014.

He faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution for mail fraud. The tax statute provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

His sentencing has been scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2017.