Lou Pearlman, boy band empresario, gets 25 years in scam

Unfortunately for them, the former music mogul may not be able to scare up much cash. Pearlman has admitted stealing $300-million from investors and banks in a scheme that operated for more than two decades. But investigators trying to find where the money went have so far recovered only about $3.5-million, which may not even be enough to pay the lawyers and accountants sorting through the rubble of Pearlman's possessions.

District Judge G. Kendall Sharp gave Pearlman the maximum sentence permitted under the plea agreement worked out with federal prosecutors. In addition to 25 years of prison followed by 12 years of supervised release, Sharp signed a $200-million judgment against Pearlman and also will order him to pay restitution. The judge set a hearing on restitution for July 15 after prosecutors said they haven't completed their accounting of how much victims have lost.