'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, more commonly known as the most hated man in the world, has been jailed for seven years for securities fraud.

The disgraced pharmaceutical CEO was sentenced in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday after crying to the judge and asking for mercy.

The maximum sentenced he faced was 20 years. Prosecutors wanted to see him imprisoned for 15 years.

Shkreli, 34, was found guilty of two counts of securities fraud and a single count of conspiracy in August last year and has been in custody since September when he had his bail revoked.

During his sentencing hearing on Friday, Shkreli sobbed and told the judge he had made many mistakes.

Referring to himself in the third person, he said: 'The only person to blame for me being here is me.

'There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions.'

It has not yet been decided where he will spend his time behind bars. He has been at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which he calls 'Club Fed', since September.

He also has to forfeit $7.4million in cash and assets which include a Picasso painting. and two hip hop albums; a rare Wu Tang Clan recording that he bought at auction for $2million and 'Tha Carter V' by Lil Wayne.

Scroll down for video

An artist's sketch of 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli sniffling into a tissue at the US District Court in Brooklyn on Friday as he is sentenced to seven years behind bars

'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, more commonly known as the most hated man in the world, has been jailed for seven years

Shkreli is best known for raising the prices of a lifesaving HIV drug by a disgusting 5,000% for his own profit but his crimes are unrelated.

The only person to blame for me being here is me. 'There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions'

In 2015, Shkreli was arrested on securities fraud charges after using a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors in his pharmaceutical company.

He argued that because the defrauded parties got all of their money back and then some, he should not have been jailed.

He was initially granted bail and was arrogant about his fate, saying that he did not believe he was ever going to see the inside of a cell.

That changed in September when his bail was revoked after he was caught offering his online fans $5,000 if they were able to grab a sample of Hillary Clinton's hair.

On Friday, his voice cracked as he apologized to his family.

Another sketch shows Shkreli's exasperated lawyer Benjamin Brafman rubbing his temples as his client reads from a statement

In another courtroom sketch, Shkreli's lawyer gestures towards Judge Kiyo Matsumoto

'This is my fault. I am not the victim here... Please give me a chance to show what I'm capable of,' he said.

Surprisingly, he said he was 'never motivated by money' and that his outlandish and astonishingly unlikeable public persona was an attempt to build a reputation.

Even the man's own lawyer said he disliked him.

'There are times when I want to punch him in the face,' Benjamin Brafman, who was representing him, said.

After the sentencing, Brafman said Shkreli was doing 'fine'.

Prosecutors welcome the sentence on Friday.

'For years, Shkreli told lie after lie in order to steal his investors’ money, manipulate the stock market and enrich himself.

Shkreli was arrested in December 2015 after shooting to infamy as the most hated man in the world when he increased the price of a life saving HIV drug by 5,000%, raising the price of a single tablet from $13.50 to $750

Shkreli's father Pashko attended the hearing on Friday with his brother. They are pictured arriving at the US District Court in Brooklyn

JURY SELECTION TRANSCRIPT FOR PHARMA BRO MARTIN SHKRELI The court was challenged to find 12 impartial jurors ahead of Shkreli's trial last year. Nearly all had heard of him and most disliked him so passionately they could not serve as impartial jurors. Some of the comments of jurors who were excused were released by the court in transcripts. Juror 1 Judge: 'The purpose of jury selection is to ensure fairness and impartiality in this case. If you think that you could not be fair and impartial, it is your duty to tell me. All right. Juror No 1 Juror : 'I am aware of the defendant and I hate him.' Shkreli's lawyer: 'I'm sorry?' Juror: 'I think he's a greedy little man. Judge: 'Jurors are obligated to decide the case based only on the evidence. Do you agree?' Juror: 'I don't know if I could (be impartial). I wouldn't want me on this jury.' Juror 47 Juror: 'He’s the most hated man in America. In my opinion, he equates with Bernie Madoff with the drugs for pregnant women going from $15 to $750. My parents are in their 80s. 'They’re struggling to pay for their medication. My mother was telling me yesterday how my father’s cancer drug is $9,000 a month.' Judge: 'The case is going to come before you on evidence that you must consider fairly and with an open mind.' Juror: 'I would find that difficult.' Juror 52 Juror: 'When I walked in here today, I looked at him, and in my head, that’s a snake – not knowing who he was. I just walked in and looked right at him and that’s a snake.' Juror 144 Juror: 'I heard through the news of how the defendant changed the price of a pill by up-selling it. I heard he bought an album from the Wu-Tang Clan for a million dollars. Judge: 'The question is, have you heard anything that would affect your ability to decide this case with an open mind? Can you do that?' Juror: 'I don’t think I can because he kind of looks like a d***' Juror 59 Juror: 'Your Honor, totally he is guilty and in no way can I let him slide out of anything because.. Judge: 'OK. Is that your attitude toward anyone charged with a crime who has not been proven guilty?” Juror: 'It’s my attitude toward his entire demeanor, what he has done to people.' Judge: 'All right. We are going to excuse you, sir.' Juror: 'And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan.' Advertisement

'He will now pay the price for repeatedly violating the trust placed in him by his investors, his employees and the public. It remains a priority of this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, to identify, investigate and bring to justice criminals like Shkreli,' US Attorney Richard P. Donoghue said in a statement afterwards.

'Martin Shkreli was notoriously ambitious, seeking to enrich himself at the expense of those who unwittingly invested in his lies.

There are times when I want to punch him in the face' Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman

'His crimes have been laid bare for all to see, and his intentions, which have been proven true beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted in this sentencing today.

'While we can now close this chapter of our investigation, our efforts continue to uncover and expose all crimes of this nature that claim innocent victims and defraud our financial markets,' added William F. Sweeney, Jr., FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge.

Jurors had been told to disregard the scandal which made Shkreli famous and focus instead on the fraud.

During the trial, prosecutors accused Shkreli of dishonestly using investors' cash between 2009 and 2014 after having them invest in two hedge funds that he worked - MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare

Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman (pictured leaving court on Friday) said: 'There are times when I want to punch him in the face'. He said his client was 'fine' but that he was disappointed he would spend so long behind bars

Prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulius is pictured leaving court after the sentencing hearing on Friday

He has already been told he must forfeit $7.4million in assets, including a $2million Wu Tang Clan album and Picasso painting.

Prosecutors alleged that Shkreli inflated his two companies' profits and misappropriated cash.

In 2011, when he started his pharmaceutical company Retrophin, he is claimed to have used money from its accounts to settle the concerns of MSMB investors.

Among the investors involved in the criminal case against him is ​63-year-old Steven Richardson who poured $400,000 into the fund in 2009 and 2010.

Richardson, a retired American Express executive who later became a Retrophin chairman, testified last year that during the course of their business relationship, Shkreli made comments about having sex with male colleagues and waiters in restaurants they visited.

'I was gay and had a partner, and he was starting to say certain things of a gay nature that worried me a bit.

'I thought maybe he was saying things to me because he thought I would want to hear them.

'They just felt a bit uncomfortable to me.

Before he had his bail revoked in September, Shkreli tried to flog coveted possessions including his beloved rare Wu Tang Clan album which he bought for $2million

He was initially given a $5million bail which he posted in 2015 but had it revoked in September last year when he offered his online fans $5,000 to grab clumps out of Hillary Clinton's hair

'He was saying things to me, like, "Maybe I’ll have sex with a guy in the office," or we'd be at a restaurant and there’d be a waiter and he'd say​,​ "Maybe I should hook up with him."'

Among investors Shkreli defrauded is gay investor Steven Richardson who said the young entrepreneur spoke to him about gay sex while pursuing investments

Shkreli was arrogant throughout the proceedings and maintained his social media profile.

On Facebook, he shared videos with fans and he gave media interviews.

In one, which he gave after his own arrest in December 2015, he made a crude remark about Taylor Swift as he spoke lovingly of the Wu Tang Clan and the precious rare album he bought at auction for $2million.

The album was among items he flogged on eBay as his legal woes mounted.

He also sold a fidget spinner for an astonishing $10,000.

In October, he sent a letter to a friend describing the prison where he is currently being housed as 'not that bad'.

He complained that he was not sleeping well and that his bed was small.