Infomercial King Makes Pitch To Judge For Help On Sentence
In a bizarre letter filed in federal court, informercial king Kevin Trudeau delivered a pitch worthy of one of his late night TV promotions.
The letter begs one federal judge to intercede with another in order to reduce the sentence Trudeau is scheduled to receive Monday.
"I humbly and respectfully submit this letter to you asking for your urgent help," Trudeau wrote in the unusual request to Judge Robert Gettleman.
In November, a jury took only 45 minutes to convict Trudeau of criminal contempt for making false claims in his infomercials about a weight-loss book he was selling.
Trudeau has been behind bars ever since and could be sentenced to anywhere from probation to life. Prosecutors have recommended 10 years.
Gettleman, the judge to whom Trudeau wrote, certainly knows the case.
He had Trudeau thrown in jail twice last year for failing to pay a penny of a $38 million fine for civil charges related to his weight loss book. Gettleman also recently ordered him held in custody on top of any criminal sentence until Trudeau comes clean about where he has hidden his wealth.
And Gettleman initiated the criminal charge Trudeau was convicted of before Judge Ronald Guzman.
"I am writing this letter to you in desperation. I am asking (praying) that you would consider interceding in some way with Judge Guzman on my behalf," Trudeau wrote.
"My life is in Judge Guzman's hands," Trudeau wrote. "I respectfully and with the deepest humility ask you to intervene with Judge Guzman in some way. Perhaps explain why you thought, when you referred this for criminal prosecution, that the maximum punishment for me would be 6 months."
Trudeau also wrote that he takes "100 percent responsibility" for his actions and has learned "the lesson of a lifetime."
"I apologize to you personally, Judge Gettleman, to Judge Guzman, the FTC, the U.S. Attorney's office and all involved, as well as anyone who bought the book who was not happy with it. I simply, and humbly, ask for forgiveness, compassion, and mercy."
Trudeau, however, still claimed in the letter that he is broke, though the FTC had introduced evidence in court that he hid his wealth overseas.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
