JC Chasez
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images

Next week the Backstreet Boys are releasing their new album, leading many fans of the '90s boy-band era to feel a bit nostalgic. And who could forget the epic battle that went on between Backstreet fans and 'NSYNC fans?

Given that Backstreet fans still get their fix of new music from the group every few years, will 'NSYNC fans ever get a chance to hear some new music from the group? JC Chasez very bluntly told MTV News that it will never happen.

"Nope," he said emphatically about any reunion tours or albums in the band's future. "I keep in touch with all of them. [We don't want to do it] because we already did that and it was fun, but we're done with it."

Chasez, who now spends his time as a judge on "America's Best Dance Crew," may not see an 'NSYNC reunion in the cards, but he did reveal, using his judging powers, who in the band had the slickest moves on the dance floor.

"I would say that was a toss-up between Justin and I. We just had very different styles," he said. "Justin was very fluid and more the crooner, and I was more high-energy and power."

Chasez also said that there was no competition among the bandmembers to try to out-dance each other, which means that, unfortunately, there were no backstage dance-offs. "No, no. We had fun. We would hang out and make stuff up," he said. "We always encouraged each other to be better. It was never competitive. If he does better, we all did better. If I did better, we all did better."

• JC Chasez
• *NSYNC

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: MTV News

Britney Spears wrapped up the U.S. leg of her Circus tour on Sunday in true Las Vegas Fashion with a 90-minute set at Mandalay Bay, which was attended by Barry Manilow and Brit's longtime friend, former 'NSYNC member Lance Bass.

Spears reportedly gave Bass some special treatment during the show. People reports that Bass was brought onstage during the singer's sexy rendition of "Breathe on Me" — the song during which she usually serenades a male audience member — and she proceeded to give a lap dance to the openly gay singer, who smiled and sang along.

Sunday night's show wasn't the only one attended by celebs. On Saturday, Miley Cyrus and Spice Girl Mel B. caught Britney's concert, as Spears wrapped the U.S. tour she began back in March in New Orleans. She is next set to play a string of dates in Australia in November. This week, she'll also be dropping her new single, "3," which will be included on her upcoming Singles Collection, due out November 24.

While she was in Vegas, Spears was seen with her sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, and rumored boyfriend Jason Trawick, shopping for candy at the Mirage's Sugar Factory.

"She spent about $3,000 and walked out of the store with 10 bags," a source told People. "She got a bunch of candy and shirts for her kids and got a bunch of the couture lollipops to give to her backup dancers."

• Britney Spears' Videography

• The Evolution Of: Britney Spears
• Britney Spears' Red-Hot Summer

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC

JC Chasez
Photo: MTV News

Few people are lucky enough to have known Michael Jackson on a personal level. Former 'NSYNC member JC Chasez not only had the opportunity to perform with Jackson on several occasions, including at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, but was able to hang out with the superstar offstage as well.

"I think one of the best moments of working with Michael is how kind he was," Chasez recalled. "He was so gracious. He always took time out to let you know he was thankful you were there. [He] wanted to make you feel good about what you were doing up there with him." (Chasez's former 'NSYNC-mate Justin Timberlake recently shared some MJ memories with MTV U.K.)

Chasez also fondly recalls the moments when they weren't performing and when Jackson was just "eating a sandwich, talking about his day. "It was a great experience, hanging backstage, shooting the breeze," he said. "That's what I enjoyed. It was great."

Long before he got to hang with Jackson, Chasez was just a fan who used Jackson's music as an inspiration for his own career. Buying Jackson's Thriller was his first foray into becoming a music fan; later, he performed Jackson's music on the road.

"One of the first tours that 'NSYNC did on the road in America, we actually did a Jackson 5 tribute," he said. "I don't think a lot of people remember that because it was so long ago. We suited up in '70s gear and broke into a couple Jackson 5 tunes. [It was] just one more thing we learned from them."

For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered."

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

• Today's Stars Remember Michael Jackson
• Remembering Michael Jackson

• The King's Palace: Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
• Fans Mourn The Loss Of Music Icon Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

• Michael Jackson
• *NSYNC

Joey Fatone at the Charmin bathrooms in Times Square on Monday
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Back when he was a member of 'NYSNC, Joey Fatone used to shut down Times Square when he'd appear on "TRL."

Now, he's opening a public bathroom in Times Square. But at least he's got a sense of humor — potty humor — about the whole thing.

"Well, everybody has to go sometime, and why not in the middle of Times Square?" he joked to MTV News at the third annual launch of the Charmin Restrooms on Monday (November 24). "That's the thing they asked me: 'Wanna be king of the throne?' I said, Why not?' "

Fatone also got the opportunity to design a stall of his own, opting for a concert-like setting, complete with disco lights and music. "My one is kind of like a rock-and-roll, being-onstage kind of thing," he explained. "You got the lights, a fog machine. It's pretty funny. The feel of it is being in a concert, and basically you're onstage and either you can do one song or two — there's the potty humor!" he laughed. "I know. It's coming. It happens."

Fatone also joked around about the possibility of his former bandmate Lance Bass winning "Dancing With the Stars." Back in 2007, Fatone took second place. If Bass wins, the only thing Fatone will say is, " 'You beat me, you bonehead!' "

"I wish him all the luck," he added. "It's going to be a close call. Plus, I have my old dance partner Kym, who's also in the finals, so that's a tough decision. I like both of them, but obviously Lance is the celebrity. He's really come out of his shell with a lot of things as far as stepping up to a lot of the dances. At first I know he was really nervous about it, because people kept saying he was the worst dancer. It wasn't he was the worst dancer ... [but] now he's getting it."

Bass recently said he'd love to get the band back together, and Fatone thinks it can happen once the guys take a minute or two to discuss their options for a reunion. "There's always a time and a place," he said. "There was a time and a place for [New Kids on the Block] and it was, like, 15 years later. Who knows? Everybody is doing different things. ... So it's interesting. It's like when do we say the five of us need to get together: Are we going to do it [or] are we not going to do it?"

"I've talked to everybody," he added. "I think I'm the only one who talks to everybody. I talked to Justin. I was with him in Italy for a wedding. I talked to JC like every other day and I talk to Lance every other day. I see Chris 'cause we live in Orlando."

Despite his success with 'NSYNC, Fatone said the only time he's been a celebrity to his Miley Cyrus-loving daughter was when he made an appearance on "Hannah Montana."

"It was interesting when I did an episode on 'Hannah Montana,' it was pretty funny," he said. "At first it was like ' 'NYSNC, what?' [My daughter] and her friends didn't care. But now that I did 'Hannah Montana' it's a different story. I'm awesome."

• *NSYNC
• Joey Fatone

Britney Spears in 1999
Photo: Joey Terrill/ WireImage

The pressure had been building up behind the scenes for longer than most music fans realized. But when the teen-pop explosion burst onto the charts in early 1999, it felt like the music world had been blindsided overnight by a flood of squeaky-clean acts who would dominate the charts for years to come.

And in some cases, those ripples are still being felt today. It's hard to believe it now, but over the course of a few months between late 1998 and early 1999, radio and MTV were inundated with the debuts and breakthroughs from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and countless other boy bands and teen singers who would rule the charts well into the 2000s, and in the cases of Britney and Christina, continue to lord over them today.

Of course, that bum-rush of teen acts and copycat bands also produced a bunch of groups that were barely a blip on the screen then or now (Five, Natural, 3Deep, A1, Another Level, C-Note, BBMak or Dream Street anyone?), not to mention some other pop flashes in the pan, some of whom survived and some of whom are named Lou Bega.

Here are what some of the survivors and also-rans are up to:

Lou Bega
Why you know that name: The German-born Latin music revivalist had a hit with a summer 1999 remake of the 1952 instrumental "Mambo No. 5," to which he added an indelible string of women's names (shout-outs to Angela, Pamela, Monica and Jessica). The song hit #1 across the globe ... and then Bega was hardly ever heard from again.

Len
Why you know the name: This Canadian one-hit-wonder, brother-sister act graduated from its early punk roots to a fizzy pop sound on You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, featuring the bop-tastic hit "Steal My Sunshine." But the duo's next LP wasn't released outside Canada, and they've been talking up their upcoming album for several years now.

Sixpence None the Richer
Why you know the name: The Christian group hit #1 on the pop charts a year after its 1997 self-titled album was released when "Kiss Me" was used on "Dawson's Creek" and in the teen flick "She's All That." The group followed it with a cover of the "There She Goes," the legendary one-off hit by the La's, which was added to the 1999 re-release of Sixpence's album. The band broke up in 2004, and singer Leigh Nash went solo, later forming an ill-named side project called Fauxliage. And then the group got back together in 2008 to release a new EP, a Christmas album and tour the U.S. and Europe.

Orgy
Why you know the name: The synth-rock band signed to Korn's Elementree Records, released Candyass in 1998 and broke through with a grim cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." Orgy released another album that fizzled, toured on the Family Values outing, put out their third album on their own label and have been threatening to make another album for several years.

Tal Bachman
Why you know the name: The Canadian singer/songwriter released the top-10 hit "She's So High" from his self-titled debut, produced by Metallica homie Bob Rock. The son of Randy Bachman, lead guitarist/singer of 1970s rockers the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, released another album in 2006 that failed to chart in the U.S. Most recently, he can be seen in the Bill Maher documentary "Religulous," talking about his break with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smash Mouth
Why you know the name: These chilled-out San Jose, California, pop rockers had a minor hit in 1997 with "Walkin' on the Sun," but busted it major in 1999 with their signature tune, "All Star," from their Astro Lounge album. The bouncy pop song made it into a string of movies ("Shrek," "Rat Race" and "Mystery Men") and then things got kinda quiet. They released another album, shelved one after that, and despite the departure of most of their members, they're now reportedly working on a new album, even as singer Steve Harwell is pulling a Hootie and prepping his solo country debut.

Everlast
Why you know the name: In 1998, the former lead growler for early '90s Irish-American rap crew House of Pain ("Jump Around") released his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which mixed hip-hop beats and rhymes with blues and acoustic guitars, spawning the inescapable ballad "What It's Like." His similar-sounding 2000 follow-up, Eat at Whitey's, didn't catch on, nor did a more country-tinged 2004 album, White Trash Beautiful, and his recently released Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford had not caught fire at press time.

The New Radicals
Why you know the name: Talk about a one-hit wonder. This Los Angeles band blew up with the Marilyn Manson/ Courtney Love-baiting power-pop hit "You Get What You Give" in early 1999 from the group's only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. Reclusive leader and main songwriter Gregg Alexander broke the group up less than a year after the album's release and has quietly written songs for other artists since, including the 2002 Grammy-winning "The Game of Love" for Santana.

LFO
Why you know the name: The Lyte Funky Ones hit the jackpot on their self-titled debut with the 1999 song "Summer Girls," but faded soon after. Singer Rich Cronin appeared on VH1's "Mission: Man Band," and former hardware store clerk Devin Lima is releasing his rock-edged debut with his new band, Cadbury Diesel, in July 2008.

98 Degrees
Why you know the name: Featuring future "Newlyweds" star Nick Lachey, they debuted in 1997 but, like many boy bands of the era, hit their groove in 1999 with hits including "I Do (Cherish You)" and "The Hardest Thing" from 98 Degrees and Rising. After one more album, the guys went their separate ways in 2002, with Lachey going on to marry and divorce Jessica Simpson and release two solo albums, with another one due in 2009. The group has continued to discuss a comeback, but no plans have been announced yet.

And now, some names you might still recognize:

Jessica Simpson
Why you know the name: Like Katy Perry, Simpson started out in the Christian pop world, but crossed over into teen pop with her 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, which spawned the hits "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "I Think I'm in Love With You." Less successful than Christina or Britney, Simpson released two more albums, married Lachey, appeared on "Newlyweds," divorced Lachey and moved on to roles in a series of flop movies such as "Employee of the Month" and "Blonde Ambition." After her 2006 pop album, A Public Affair, failed to catch fire, Simpson switched genres and had a top-20 hit in 2008 with her debut country single, "Come on Over."

Eminem
Why you know the name: It's hard to think of a time when Marshall Mathers wasn't in our lives, but the Detroit rapper burst onto the scene in 1999 with his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which spawned the hits "My Name Is," "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model." Em went on to world domination and a string of three huge albums before taking a hiatus in 2005 following a stint in rehab for a dependency on sleeping medication. He's laid low for several years, but is plotting his return in 2009 with an album called Relapse.

Kid Rock
Why you know the name: Fellow Detroit rapper Rock had been kicking around the industry for years, releasing albums on small labels, when he smashed the big time in 1998 with Devil Without a Cause. After a slow start, the disc blew up and became one of the best-selling rap albums of all time (11 million copies) thanks to hits — and "TRL" favorites — like "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy" and "I Am the Bullgod." Rock has continued to spin off hits with his signature country rock/hip-hop sound, most recently defying the odds (and iTunes) with the 2 million-selling Rock N Roll Jesus.

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• The Class Of '99: Britney, 'NSYNC, More

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC
• Eminem
• Jessica Simpson
• Kid Rock

Lacey Schwimmer and Lance Bass
Photo: ABC/Kelsey McNeal

Lance Bass cannot believe he is one of the four remaining celebrities in the running to win the seventh season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." Sure, he spent a good part of his early career dancing in 'NSYNC, but Bass insists that his previous training didn't give him an advantage on the show.

"I can't believe we're still standing, but everyone is so good this season. These next few weeks are going to be insane," he told MTV News during rehearsals with his partner, "So You Think You Can Dance" alumna Lacey Schwimmer. "These judges are so wishy-washy. ... This season they're really hard-core, but I think it's to bump you to the next level. They're just pushing us to be better.

"My 'NSYNC training has not helped me at all for 'DWTS,' " Bass declared, though he's following in the footsteps of other ex-boy-banders turned accomplished "DWTS" contestants Drew Lachey, Joey McIntyre and Joey Fatone. "With 'NSYNC — I was going to say, 'It's all hip-hop,' [though] it didn't look like hip-hop. I've had a lot of hip-hop training, but with ballroom, it's more posture and lines. ... I'm more ghetto, and ballroom is more vanilla. I've had to learn how to be vanilla."

Bass also did some training to go into space, before his mission failed in 2002. Did any of that come in handy for the dance competition? "I don't know how much it helped me for 'DWTS,' " he said. "The physical training has definitely helped me, 'cause I'm used to all the cardio that we're doing, but we put in crazy hours in the studio."

Of course, Bass has also gotten some help from his 'NSYNC pal Fatone, who competed in the fourth season of "DWTS." "Joey has given me some good advice. I'll take all the advice I can get. I usually don't listen to Joey," he joked, "but in this case, I do. He came in second place, so he's one you listen to."

At the end of the day, though, Bass is continually surprised by the accomplishments he's making as a dancer on the show. And, he's not ashamed to admit it. "I watch on TiVo, and I think, 'Who is that guy?' " he said. "I'm impressed with myself, 'cause for that one moment, I looked damn good."

• *NSYNC
• Lance Bass

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer
Photo: MTV News

Lance Bass is ready to party like it's 1999.

That means several things for the boy-bander-turned-"Dancing With the Stars" contestant. For one thing, he would be more than happy to hit the road with his old bandmates in 'NSYNC.

"There's always a possibility for a tour or reunion. It's something that we really haven't discussed yet," he told MTV News. "But it's something I would love to talk about. I think it's maybe needed in the next year or so, and I think our fans would love it, 'cause we never got to say goodbye. I want to do the Boyz II Men thing, where we just sit on the stools," he joked.

And it wouldn't be like the good old days if former tourmate Britney Spears weren't about to put out fresh music. Bass is all about her return. "I am totally stoked to see Britney come back," he said. "I think it's going to be one of the biggest comebacks you've ever seen. It's not even a comeback — she's always been around — but I think, personally, she's ready to explode again."

Bass thinks this is a good time for Spears to return to the spotlight because, he says, it's as good a time as ever to be a pop artist. "Everyone wants to have fun with music again, and she always makes it fun," he said. "I think the last two years was a just a scam, so that she can make a huge comeback. I want to believe it was a big old punk on us."

There is, of course, a huge resurgence in pop music right now, with Miley Cyrus, the "High School Musical" gang and the Jonas Brothers topping the charts. And seeing the Jonases reign as pop gods is déjà vu for Bass.

"It's funny to see what they're going through now, 'cause it totally reminds me of my 'NSYNC days. I know exactly what they're going to do," he said. "I can warn them. And it was funny to see all the people around them [when the JoBros were on 'Dancing With the Stars'], 'cause they were all the exact same people who worked with us. It was the first time I got to see them perform, and I was really impressed. They're really good kids."

Bass does have some simple advice for the trio, being that he's been there and done that himself: "As long as you keep it in the family and have fun and keep it down-to-earth, they'll be just fine."

He added that if 'NSYNC were to try and make it in today's pop-music world alongside the Jonas Brothers, he has no doubt they'd once again be a hot pop commodity. "We'd be leading the pack right now. I think 'NSYNC would definitely fit in today's music scene," he said. "And with Britney coming back and Christina and Eminem ... we're going to have a whole late-'90s resurgence. It's going to be great."

But at the end of the day, Bass is ready to try something new. Although he'll be busy with the "Dancing With the Stars" tour in the winter, he admits that he's not afraid to go out on a limb — which is why he's done everything from pop music to Broadway to movies to, of course, an attempt at space travel.

"I like to challenge myself, that's for sure. I get bored very easily, which is why I like to do things out of the ordinary, like going to space," he explained. "I don't know what's next. Who knows, but [I'll] definitely not retire. I think I want to try the TV thing after this and try some acting."

• Lance Bass
• *NSYNC
• Britney Spears
• Jonas Brothers

The Backstreet Boys with John Norris
Photo: MTV News

Remember the good old days when the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC were battling it out for boy-band supremacy, yet they wanted it to look like there was no rivalry and that things were cool between the two groups? Well, all these years later, the Backstreet Boys finally admit that there was definitely some competition during the late-'90s pop explosion.

"A healthy competition creates this big ball of energy that just doesn't stop and continues to grow," Nick Carter said. "Obviously, with 'NSYNC and with us — we're allowed to say it now, it's OK — it was a lot of fun, and it pushed us to be better as a group. I'm sure it pushed them as well. It's just like [Michael] Jordan and [John] Starks ... and the world loves it. We were happy to be a part of it. And we're still striving to be better."

"We all fed each other," Howie Dorough agreed. "Everyone was trying to be on top of their game. ... The media sometimes made us out to have a rivalry going on. ... There was never any animosity amongst us, but it made for a lot of fun for the fans to get out there and support both sides."

And it wasn't just during the fun times that loyal Backstreet Boys fans stood by their sides. The guys recall the time when A.J. McLean used the "Total Request Live" stage to tell the world that he was going into rehab in 2001. He says he chose "TRL" — which ends its 10-year run November 16 — because it was the obvious place for a pop act to go when announcing big news.

"I was definitely happy with that decision," McLean said. "We had talked about how we were going to approach it. I left it up to the four other guys, 'cause I was going through such turmoil in my head. But I think the reason why we picked 'TRL' was because it was our hub. That's where everything started for us. ... What better way to reach the fans? What better place for us to talk to people and be that honest with the situation?

"I still, to this day, have not watched the episode," he added. "I've seen bits and pieces of it, and then when I see Kevin cry, I stop."

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the guys recall having the power to shut down the center of the Big Apple during a "TRL." "You used to be able to see out the windows, and then after that, they blacked out the windows and wouldn't let us go near the windows," Brian Littrell remembered. "We literally shut down Times Square. I remember it being calmer, then it became crazy."

The guys will be on hand for the "TRL" finale, where they'll be performing some fan favorites for the crowd. Nick isn't ready to see it go. "Sad. This is something that we've been a part of since the beginning," he said. "So many great memories. Why are you taking it off? What's wrong with you guys? Things have to change."

The guys are no stranger to change. In 2006, founding member Kevin Richardson left the group, and now the guys are pursuing "new goals." Dorough said Richardson is in "such a good place right now," raising a family and pursuing an acting career.

"In the beginning of the tour [this year], we left a gap onstage where Kevin would be, and then it started closing up," Carter said. "We love him to death. We have to move on. We have new goals and dreams."

The guys have since released new music and plan to release more next year. They also continue to tour, all with Richardson's blessing. And despite how weird it still is to not have him around, they have no plans to slow down anytime soon. "We're the happiest we've ever been. We're all united," McLean said, and Carter added that this is going to be the beginning of a new era — a fresh start for the guys.

And pop music today is as hot as it was nearly a decade ago, thanks to acts like the Jonas Brothers, and the Backstreet Boys are passing the boy-band torch to their former tourmates. "They opened for us on the 'Never Gone Tour.' They're a talented bunch of kids. They're growing up fast," Littrell added. "I don't feel reluctant to give them advice. I'll never forget: We were doing a show in Florida with the Temptations, and one of those guys stood up and said, 'This is show business, and as you're doing your show, your business could be running out on you.' I'll never forget that."

• Backstreet Boys
• Jonas Brothers
• *NSYNC

Lou Pearlman
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Even as federal investigators were finishing work on their $300 million fraud case against disgraced former boy-band entrepreneur Lou Pearlman, the ex-Backstreet Boys backer was gathering information on a man held in a nearby cell in order to turn those details over to cops.

Sitting in the Orange County jail in Florida, Pearlman reportedly listened intently as fellow inmate Davin Smith told him about the October 7 killing of off-duty Orlando police officer Alfred Gordon, whom Smith is accused of gunning down during a botched robbery, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Pearlman took notes and drew diagrams based on Smith's story, after overhearing another inmate ask Smith what he was charged with. "We killed a cop," Smith reportedly replied. Smith and his co-defendant have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The paper obtained a transcript of a 28-minute interview between Pearlman and Orange County sheriff's detectives from October 30, during which Pearlman, 54, spoke repeatedly about hearing Smith, 19, brag about the crime. Most of the overheard conversations were with another inmate, but Pearlman spoke to Smith himself a few times as the two men left the common shower area, after Smith said he recognized Pearlman from "Making the Band."

As Smith reportedly described what happened the morning Gordon was shot, Pearlman took notes on the story at the instruction of his lawyers. Pearlman "provided a statement to law enforcement that was useful in the sheriff's office investigation of our case," state prosecutor Robin Wilkinson told the Sentinel. Pearlman, who pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges earlier this year and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, is listed as a potential witness in the murder trial.

In May, Pearlman was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a decades-long financial scheme that prosecutors say defrauded investors and banks out of hundreds of millions of dollars. He was moved last week to a medium-security prison in Atlanta, and one of his lawyers said he will seek a federal sentence reduction in the future based on the "very valuable and relevant" information he has provided in the Gordon murder investigation.

• Backstreet Boys
• *NSYNC

Lou Pearlman being handed over to the FBI in Yigo, Guam on June 15, 2007
Photo: Masako Watanabe/ AP Photo

The man who liked his boy-band protégés to call him "Big Poppa" is headed to the big house. Former 'NSYNC and Backstreet Boys Svengali Lou Pearlman agreed on Monday to a deal in which he changed his plea in a massive financial fraud case from not guilty to guilty and agreed to work with prosecutors to help recover some of the hundreds of millions of dollars he is accused of fraudulently obtaining from banks and investors. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Pearlman could face up to 25 years in prison and $1 million in fines in the case.

After attorneys notified the judge in the case that Pearlman wanted to change his plea to guilty, on Monday prosecutors filed a new 28-page criminal indictment claiming that over the past 18 years, Pearlman issued worthless stock, used a fake accounting firm and made up overseas financiers to defraud investors and banks out of more than $300 million, the Sentinel reported.

"Mr. Pearlman is going to enter a plea," one of his court-appointed lawyers, Fletcher Peacock, said Monday, according to the paper. "It's the first step in taking responsibility for what has happened." Defense attorneys and prosecutors have reportedly been in secret talks for the past few months on the plea deal, the details of which were finalized last week.

The man known for helping to birth the late 1990s boy-band craze left the country in January 2007, as creditors and financial investigators were closing in on his collapsing Trans Continental business empire. Most of the corporate assets of his dozens of shell companies have been auctioned off in bankruptcy court over the past year (see "'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys Relics To Be Sold In Lou Pearlman Auction").

Pearlman was arrested by the FBI in Indonesia in June and thrown out of the country, after which he was arrested by U.S. authorities in Guam and sent to jail in Orlando, where he has been held without bail since July 10.

Pearlman, 53, has agreed to help the government and the court-appointed trustee in his pending bankruptcy cases by helping them to recover assets and make reparations to the investors he deceived. Authorities could seize any of Pearlman's assets tied to his fraudulent investments.

The Sentinel reported that the charges brought by authorities on Monday trace a criminal path back to 1989 that includes a classic Ponzi scheme in which investors were sold worthless stock and retirement-account investments in companies that didn't exist. The early investors were paid off with proceeds brought in by later investors, but, like all Ponzi schemes, eventually the shell game collapsed and most, if not all of the investors were left with no payout. In Pearlman's case, a number of those nearly 1,300 investors were elderly victims on fixed incomes who lost some or all of their retirement savings St. Petersburg Times reporter Helen Huntley told MTV News last summer, before Pearlman's capture.

Prosecutors allege in the new documents that Pearlman has sold worthless stock in two companies under his Trans Continental umbrella since 1989 and used the made-up accounting firm of "Cohen & Siegel" to file phony financial documents and tax returns with investors and banks to get loans. More than $200 million were raised by the fraud from the 1,300 investors by Pearlman and unnamed associates, in addition to another $100 million in loans that Pearlman is alleged to have illegally obtained by filing false tax returns and overstating his personal and corporate assets.

• *NSYNC
• Backstreet Boys

Aaliyah: A Life In Photos

• Aaliyah
• Diddy
• Missy Elliott
• *NSYNC
• Destiny's Child

Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, More On The 2008 American Music Awards Red Carpet

• Miley Cyrus
• Jonas Brothers
• Ashley Tisdale
• Akon
• Christina Aguilera

2008 Grammy Parties

• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Rihanna
• Paris Hilton
• Miley Cyrus

Jessica, 50 Cent, AFI, More Get Fashionable At The VMA Style Villa

• Jessica Simpson
• 50 Cent
• *NSYNC
• Gnarls Barkley
• Vanessa Carlton

Joey Fatone, Gorillaz, and Thomas Jones

• *NSYNC
• Gorillaz

Lance Bass Reveals He's Gay In "People" Magazine

• *NSYNC
• Lance Bass

Outrageous Moments

• Kelly Clarkson
• Madonna
• Britney Spears
• blink-182
• Michael Jackson

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