Lead singer sentenced to seven years for fraudulently borrowing $11 million against his 'successful' band to maintain rock star lifestyle



Robert Mawhinney, aka Robb 'TaLLLLL' University, was the self-styled frontman of a Los Angeles rock band Lights Over Paris



Mawhinney borrowed more than $11 million to maintain the lifestyle of a rock star

The band, of which Mawhinney was the sole member, had lavish music videos and a song with a cameo by rapper The Game

Lights Over Paris never hit the big time



Mawhinney was convicted of four counts of making false statements to federally insured banks and one count of money laundering

He was sentenced to seven years prison

The frontman for a fledgling Los Angeles rock band was sentenced to seven years in prison Monday after bilking more than $11 million from banks and using it to fuel his fantasy of being a rock star, prosecutors said.



Robb 'TaLLLLL' University, real name Robert Mawhinney, 30, pleaded guilty in April to five counts, including money laundering.



Mawhinney was the lead singer for Lights Over Paris a 'band' consisting solely of Mawhinney in the roles of lead singer and songwriter, and authorities say he gave the appearance the band was successful.



Jailhouse rock: Mawhinney, aka Robb University, was sentenced to seven years prison for fraud

Secretly unsuccessful: Mawhinney was the lead singer for Lights Over Paris, and authorities say he gave the appearance the band was successful and lived a lavish lifestyle on borrowed funds

He enlisted rapper The Game for one of his videos and had a customized tour bus emblazoned with the group's name.



Mawhinney received more than $11 million in loans from four banks.

Prosecutors said he gave lenders statements that claimed he had nearly $8 million in assets, but it turned out his account had less than $10,000, authorities said.



Mawhinney 'used the millions of dollars that he fraudulently obtained for the selfish purpose of funding his fantasy of being a rock star,' prosecutors wrote in court documents.



He got Game: Rapper The Game appeared in the music video for Lights Over Paris' song 'I'm Not a Gangsta'

Shades of Zoolander: An eyeliner-ed Mawhinney strides through an opulent home in the music video for Turn Out the Lights, which is complete with the obligatory blond model in a swimsuit





Loan officers even visited a recording studio in Burbank to determine if Mawhinney, who used the stage name Robb University, was creditworthy.



He said he sought the loans to finish a recording room in the studio, among other expenses, court documents show.



Mawhinney appeared to have lived like a rock star, staying in a 35-story luxury high-rise in downtown Los Angeles and taking trips to the Caribbean, Europe and South America.

Playboy: Mawhinney lived a rockstar lifestyle in Los Angeles before it all unraveled spectacularly and he landed in court

He bought a $750,000 tour bus which was once featured in Limo Digest. The front of the bus resembles the nose of an airplane and the vehicle is equipped with exterior awnings that, when expanded, look like wings.

Mawhinney was arrested at Miami International Airport earlier this month after returning from a trip to Buenos Aires.



Prosecutors said he attempted to pay off of some of his loans with proceeds he received from earlier payouts but eventually defaulted.



The band released an EP Turn Off the Lights which appeared on Billboard's Heatseeker Albums chart, and also produced a video entitled I'm Not A Gangsta in which Mawhinney is riding shotgun in a Rolls Royce driven by The Game.

