In November 2013 a federal jury convicted Kevin Trudeau of criminal contempt of court, and in March 2014 he was sentenced to 10 years. The court said he broke a 2004 order from the Federal Trade Commission when he advertised The Weight Loss Cure. He left federal custody in 2022. Kevin calls the case political persecution.
What the court record says
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1990 and 1991 | He pleaded guilty to depositing worthless checks (1990) and to credit card fraud (1991), and spent two years in federal prison. |
| 1998 | Fined by the FTC over his infomercials. |
| 2004 | Settlement with the FTC: he stopped marketing products on TV, except his books, which he could advertise as long as he did not misrepresent them. |
| 2007 | The FTC accused him of misrepresenting The Weight Loss Cure in his infomercials. The book's protocol includes hCG injections. |
| 2008 to 2011 | A civil contempt judgment of about $37.6 million, upheld on appeal in 2011. |
| November 2013 | A jury convicts him of criminal contempt. |
| March 2014 | Sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. |
| 2022 | Leaves federal custody after about 8 years. |
What Kevin and his supporters say
Kevin's official site describes nearly a decade of imprisonment as political persecution. His Fan Club says he was sentenced for contempt of court and that his assets were taken.
Many of his followers, me included, see a bigger picture. His books, starting with Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, openly attacked the drug and food industries and the agencies that regulate them. Natural Cures reached number one on the New York Times nonfiction list in 2005 and sold millions of copies. For his supporters, a 10 year sentence for how he advertised a diet book only makes sense in that context.
Critics answer that he had been warned by courts many times and kept breaking the orders. You will hear both arguments, and you deserve to have both in front of you.
Why this does not have to decide what you listen to
The case was about infomercials, not about Your Wish Is Your Command or GIN. You can judge his teaching on its own by listening to it. The free training costs nothing, so the decision is yours, with all the facts in view.
Hear all 14 sessions of Your Wish Is Your Command free, from Kevin's official page. No card, no membership.
Get the 14 sessions freeSources: Wikipedia, "Kevin Trudeau" (court dates, FTC actions, release in 2022); kevintrudeau.com, About page and article of May 22, 2025; kevintrudeaufanclub.com. Checked November 14, 2026.
Quick answers
Why did Kevin Trudeau go to prison?
A federal jury convicted him of criminal contempt of court in November 2013, and in March 2014 he was sentenced to 10 years. The court found he violated a 2004 FTC order when he advertised his book The Weight Loss Cure. Kevin calls it political persecution.
Was Kevin Trudeau jailed because of Natural Cures?
The charge on the court record is contempt tied to The Weight Loss Cure infomercials. Kevin and his supporters say the real reason was his books, Natural Cures among them, which challenged the drug and food industries. Both views are explained on this page.
When did Kevin Trudeau get out of prison?
He left federal custody in 2022, after about 8 years, according to Wikipedia and Kevin's own website.
Was GIN part of the criminal case?
No. The criminal contempt case was about his book infomercials, not about the Global Information Network.