Mike Lombardo | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Michael Lawrence Lombardo |
| Also known as | Michael Lawrence MikeLombardoMusic |
| Born | March 30, 1988 Rome, New York, [1] U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter Audio Systems Engineer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, guitar, violin, drums |
| Years active | 2008–2012 |
| Labels | Unsigned |
Michael Lawrence Lombardo (born March 30, 1988) is an American former musician. He was known for writing piano-driven rock songs and posting them on YouTube under the username "MikeLombardoMusic", until his 2013 conviction on child pornography charges. He was previously signed to DFTBA Records through which he released one LP, Songs for a New Day, and one EP, The Alchemist. Lombardo posted music videos, song tutorials, and personal updates on his YouTube channel which had over 20,000 subscribers before its closure.
As of August 16, 2018, Lombardo was released from FCI Fort Dix, having served a five-year sentence at the facility after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. [2]
Since his release, Lombardo has gone on to do notable audio work under the name "Michael Lawrence," becoming an editor for several audio publications, and performing system engineering work on large scale tours. [3]
Lombardo frequently states that he has been making music since he was two years old. He graduated a year early from Berklee College of Music in 2009, [4] earning a degree in songwriting. He first started uploading original songs on YouTube as a way to post his homework for class assignments.
On February 16, 2012, it was announced by The Smoking Gun that Lombardo "is the target of a federal child pornography investigation focusing on his alleged exchange of naked photos with underage female fans." Two days after the release of the article, Hank Green, one of the co-owners of DFTBA Records, put up a statement on his Tumblr blog stating that the company had removed Lombardo's music from their website because they "didn't feel it appropriate to continue our business relationship given the situation." [5] On July 20, 2012, a complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York alleging four counts of child pornography related crimes. [6] [7] He was arrested on July 25, 2012, but released from custody after five days. [8]
On September 18, 2013, The Smoking Gun published another article announcing that Lombardo had pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. According to the plea bargain, Lombardo solicited pornographic images from six different minors. [9]
On February 28, 2014, Lombardo was sentenced to five years in federal prison. [10] He was released on August 16, 2018.
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