Lou Pearlman’s official autopsy has been released, and the information reveals that the *N SYNC promoter died of a heart infection while he was incarcerated in federal prison. The infection was centered in the inner lining and occurred after he underwent surgery to replace a heart valve.

Billboard reports that the autopsy reports were released by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner this past Tuesday (Aug. 23). The autopsy reportedly said that Pearlman had a medical condition where his heart valve was having difficulty opening fully.

At the time of his death Pearlman had been serving a 25-year sentence for leading a Ponzi scheme at a federal prison in South Florida. The Ponzi scheme that he conducted totaled $300 million and was exposed in 2006 through his Trans Continental companies. Pearlman was subsequently convicted of fraud two years later in 2008.

During the case there were hundreds of separate lawsuits filed, notably one by the Backstreet Boys, whose promotion he handled. In addition to the Backstreet Boys, most of the bands he managed ended up suing him for fraud and misrepresentation.

Members of the bands he managed had mixed reactions to his deathLance Bass of *N SYNC expressed that although Pearlman was not exactly ethical, he did make the career of the band possible. Timberlake tweeted that he hoped Pearlman had found peace following his death and Nick Carter and AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys’ noted his role in their success.

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