Lou Pearlman

Louis Jay Pearlman (June 19, 1954 - August 19, 2016) was an American record producer and fraudster. He was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City. He was a first cousin of the musician Art Garfunkel. He used to live in Orlando, Florida. He was the person behind many successful 1990s boy bands, having formed and funded the Backstreet Boys.[4] After their massive success, he then developed NSYNC.

Lou Pearlman
2007 arrest mugshot
Born
Louis Jay Pearlman

(1954-06-19)June 19, 1954
Flushing, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 19, 2016(2016-08-19) (aged 62)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Resting placeNew Montefiore Cemetery
Other names
  • Big Poppa[1]
  • Incognito Johnson[2]
Criminal charges
Criminal penalty25 years in prison
Criminal statusDeceased
Musical career
GenresDance-pop
Occupation(s)Record producer, manager
Years active1993–2006

In 2006, he was accused of running one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in United States history, leaving more than $300 million in debts. After attempting to evade capture, Pearlman was caught in Bali, Indonesia in June 2007. He pled guilty to conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceedings.

In 2008, Pearlman was convicted and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.[3][5] He died of a stroke in prison in Texarkana, Texas.

References
  1. Roche, Timothy; Handy, Bruce (February 1, 1999). "Big Poppa's Bubble Gum Machine". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  2. Handy, Bruce (June 18, 2007). "Lou Pearlman appears at hearing in Guam". USA Today. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  3. "Boy band founder to plead guilty in $300M suit". Associated Press. March 4, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  4. "Backstreet Boys Share Secrets to Success". koreatimes. 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  5. Liston, Barbara (May 21, 2008). "Boy band mogul Pearlman sentenced to 25 years". Reuters. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
    - Huntley, Helen. "Special report: Unraveling a transcontinental fraud". tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
    - "More coverage of the Lou Pearlman saga". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2009.

Other reading
  • Gray, Tyler (2008). The Hit Charade: Lou Pearlman, Boy Bands, and the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History. Harper Collins. p. 320. ISBN 978-0-06-157966-0.
  • Henderson, Wes (2006). Under Investigation: The Inside Story of the Florida Attorney General's Investigation of Wilhelmina Scouting Network, the Largest Model and Talent Scam in America. Coyote Ridge Publishing. p. 511. ISBN 978-0-9687133-3-4. Cited as Henderson 2006.
  • Pearlman, Lou; Smith, Wes (2002). Bands, Brands and Billions: My Top 10 Rules for Making Any Business Go Platinum. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-138565-7. Cited as Pearlman 2002.

Other websites
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