Infomercial Pitchman Don Lapre Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

Self-proclaimed "King of Infomercials" may have killed himself in Arizona jail cell just days before his fraud trial was set to begin

TV's self-proclaimed "King of Infomercials" has been found dead.

The body of Don Lapre was discovered by authorities Sunday morning inside his Arizona jail cell, where the 47-year-old pitchman was awaiting trial on fraud charges.

Authorities are still investigating Lapre's cause of death, but U.S. Marshals spokesman Matt Hershey confirmed the passing to E! News.

"Yesterday morning, Don Lapre was found dead in his jail cell at a Florence, Ariz., detention center—Central Arizona Detention Center," he said.

"Prison staff attempted life-saving measures and there was no success. Right now, the nature and cause of death are unknown. It is believed to be an apparent suicide, but there is an ongoing investigation with the Florence police department and U.S. Marshals."

While authorities are keeping mum for now, officials reportedly found a large amount of blood in his cell, and it appeared the infoman may have cut himself.

Lapre was set to appear in court tomorrow on 41 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Consumer watchdog groups had long accused him of selling bogus products, and in June of this year he was indicted by a Phoenix grand jury for scamming more than 220,000 customers out of nearly $51.8 million through his various ventures—including shilling the worthless "Greatest Vitamin in the World" and selling fake Internet businesses.

Soon after the indictment, Lapre failed to show for his arraignment and was arrested on June 23 at a gym bearing self-inflicted knife wounds in what was his first suicide attempt.