Martin Shkreli sentenced to 7 years in prison

“Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for for defrauding investors, AP News reports. In a sentencing on Friday (3/9), U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said, “This case is not about Mr. Shkreli’s self-cultivated public persona … nor his controversial statements about politics or culture.” Shkreli cried as he apologized to investors, saying, “I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me. I took down Martin Shkreli.” His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said that he sometimes wants to hug Shkreli, and other times punch him in the face.

The sentencing came after an order earlier this week for Shkreli to forfeit his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, along with others assets totaling $7.36 million, as a substitute for the money – Shkreli was, as of last year, cash-broke. He was found guilty of securities fraud in 2017.