Don Lapre, the self-proclaimed "King of Infomercials," often touted the easy path to a life of riches in his late-night pitches that ensnared thousands of investors.

But Lapre's own journey turned rocky this year when he was accused of misleading tens of thousands of investors and charged with fraud. On Sunday, the 47-year-old Phoenix man was found dead of an apparent suicide in a Florence jail cell.

His death, which U.S. marshals and Florence police continue to investigate, marks the end of a colorful life that captured the imagination of those who were inspired by his rags-to-riches story. Yet wealth was elusive for the thousands who invested in Lapre's money-making strategies.

Lapre was jailed on fraud charges in connection with his Internet-based business, the Greatest Vitamin in the World. Federal prosecutors alleged that more than 220,000 people were promised lucrative commission checks for selling vitamins and recruiting others to the business, but prosecutors alleged it was a worthless venture for most who signed up.

Pia Burgess, 53, of Ocean County, N.J., said she was drawn by Lapre's promise of easy money when she signed up for the vitamin-selling business.

"I saw him on TV years ago," Burgess said. "He just looked really outgoing, happy and kind of excited. You would never think that someone like that would be driven to take their own life."

Lapre, who grew up in Sunnyslope, first gained notoriety in the early 1990s from his late-night advertisements. In one infomercial, Lapre was standing on a beach in a white-collared shirt, urging viewers to purchase his "Making Money" kits that shared strategies such as purchasing classified ads in newspapers or securing "900" phone numbers that charged callers for accessing services such as a horoscope, dating advice or sports information.

Lapre's high-energy style even was parodied on "Saturday Night Live" and mocked on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

Hundreds of customers who purchased Lapre's products complained that they were duped. Complaints poured into the Better Business Bureau of Central, Northern and Western Arizona and Internet sites such as the Ripoff Report.

Lapre's Greatest Vitamin business in Phoenix was raided in 2007 by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The investigation percolated for four years until June, when a federal grand jury indicted Lapre on fraud-related charges, alleging that the Greatest Vitamin signed up 226,794 people who invested in largely "worthless" business opportunities from 2003 through 2007.

The company solicited customers through infomercials, phone calls and a website. In exchange for a small, up-front fee, customers were given the chance to become "independent advertisers" who could earn commission checks of $1,000 or more by getting customers to buy vitamins through customized websites.

These customers were sold Internet advertising packages that cost thousands on the promise that it would drive traffic to their customized websites. Federal prosecutors alleged that the advertising was largely ineffective, consisting of pop-up and banner ads.

Investors spent more than $51.8 million and received just $6.3 million in commissions, according to the indictment. Lapre collected more than $2 million from the business from 2004 to 2007.

After Lapre failed to show up for an arraignment in June, a federal judge issued a warrant and U.S. marshals arrested him at the Life Time Fitness gym in Tempe. While he hid at the gym, he wounded himself in an apparent suicide attempt.

Last week, Lapre's attorney filed a motion at U.S. District Court in Phoenix seeking to get him released from jail pending his trial, scheduled for next year.

The motion said that Lapre was no longer a flight risk and would have access to a psychologist to monitor his medication and mental status.

While police Monday offered few details on Lapre's death, those who knew Lapre were shocked by the news.

"I can't tell you what his state of mind was," said Patricia Gitre, Lapre's attorney. "It was a difficult time for him, obviously."

Phoenix resident David Salinas, 42, said he purchased Lapre's money-making kits in the early 1990s.

After Lapre was jailed, Salinas designed and started a website, Free Don Lapre. The website was a clearinghouse for fans to share their thoughts about Lapre.

Though Salinas never made money after purchasing the infomercial products, he still believes that Lapre's strategies of reaching customers through classified ads would work.

"All the stuff he said made sense," Salinas said. "The information was good; I just didn't have a product to sell."

Lapre also posted his own message on the website, DonLapre.com.

Under the title "Never Stop Dreaming," Lapre said that he worked hard to make his vitamin-selling business work for his customers and investors. "I tried to create the best product on Earth, paid out millions, made very little trying to make it a success," Lapre wrote.

The website featured pictures of an elaborate house with floor-to-ceiling windows and seemingly expensive furnishings. It also showed pictures of the ocean and a palm tree-lined beach, a consistent image in Lapre's infomercials and even on the walls of his Greatest Vitamin in the World call center, which operated at Park Central Mall. Lapre said the website images were meant to motivate people to pursue their own wealth-building dreams. But Lapre also lamented his own unsuccessful vitamin-selling business and pending criminal trial.

"I am left to fight a battle that will for sure destroy what energy I have left inside," Lapre wrote.

Reach the reporter at ken.alltucker@arizonarepublic.com.