Infomercial King Kevin Trudeau Released From Jail After Crying Poor Again

By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 20, 2013 7:40PM

Kevin Trudeau, center, is shown with actors Carl Capotorto and Federico Castelluccio in Las Vegas in 2005. (Photo by Bryan Haraway/International Pool Tour via Getty Images)

Kevin Trudeau, the infomercial king who sells books containing snake oil solutions to problems everyday Americans could fix with a little effort of their own, is a free man after being released from jail in Chicago Thursday. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman had Trudeau jailed for refusing to pay a $37 million fine levied against him for making false claims in his infomercials about his book Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You To Know About.

Gettlemen found Trudeau in contempt of court in July for only paying $57,000 toward the fine while continuing to live a lavish lifestyle. He tossed the impeccably dressed Trudeau in jail in an attempt to get the salesman to remember even the simplest details of his finances. Trudeau has claimed for years that he’s destitute even though he lives a lifestyle some wealthy people may consider gauche. ABC News found Trudeau living the life of a street busker of a man with no concerns in Switzerland.

Even though Trudeau claims to be broke, Federal Trade Commission filings indicated he recently spent $900 at a liquor store, $920 on cigars and $359 on two haircuts. Gettlemen ordered Trudeau to discuss his finances with a court-appointed receiver after a night at the Metropolitan Correctional Center before saying something Trudeau didn’t want to hear.

"If I'm not satisfied that you've been forthright with them, you might be wearing the same (orange jumpsuit) you're wearing right now,” Gettleman said.