TV pitchman Kevin Trudeau has been found guilty of criminal contempt after lying in ads for his bestselling diet book and possibly faces a lengthy jail sentence.
According to The Associated Press, it took jurors less than an hour to find Trudeau guilty of contempt after a weeklong trial. Trudeau was accused of lying in his infomercials in order to sell more copies of his diet book.
Judge Ronald Guzman read out the guilty verdict and then had Trudeau's bail revoked and he was taken into custody, which is an unusual move as white-collar defendants aren't normally taken into jail before sentencing.
The trial focused on a 2004 judge's order to stop making false claims while selling his book, The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About. Prosecutor Marc Krickbaum said, "He made the book sound way better than it actually was." He added, "If he told the truth, that book wasn't going to sell nearly as well than if he lied."
According to USA Today, the 50-year-old pitchman could face a prison sentence of up to life, or as little as probation, as criminal contempt does not have a maximum sentence.
Prosecutor April Terry said in her closing argument, "Everyone has hopes and dreams, and con men prey on those hopes and dreams. The defendant is one of those con men."
In addition to the conviction, Trudeau also has to deal with federal regulators after failing to pay a $37 million fine.
image: Wikimedia Commons
