CHICAGO, July 12 (UPI) -- TV pitchman Kevin Trudeau who, was ordered off TV almost a decade ago, could face jail time for failing to pay a $37.6 million fine, court officials said.
Trudeau, whom the Federal Trade Commission sued for making false and misleading claims in his weight-loss book, hasn't paid any of the fine, saying he doesn't have the funds to do so.
During the past few months, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman has heard testimony on whether Trudeau illegally hid his assets to avoid the fine, as the FTC alleges.
In several court filings, the FTC said it has proof Trudeau is still making millions through new ventures and transferring it to his wife or offshore accounts, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.
Kimball Anderson, one of Trudeau's attorneys, said his client thinks the fine is overblown and an infringement on his free speech.
Next month, Gettleman could jail Trudeau for failing to pay the fine, the Tribune reported.
Trudeau, 50, is facing a separate contempt charge before another federal judge in Chicago.
A jury trial is set for next month to determine whether he violated a consent decree in which he promised not to do another misleading infomercial.
