The man who tried to extort more than $1 million over “compromising” wedding photos from Hollywood actor Tom Cruise was found dead Friday, in what appears to have been a suicide.

David Hans Schmidt, notorious for his illegal peddling habits, was found in his Phoenix apartment Friday. Police reportedly found him after they noticed that the tracking device he was court-ordered to wear had not moved.

Schmidt was under house arrest after his attempt to obtain $1.3 million from Tom Cruise for photographs taken at his wedding to Katie Holmes. He had reportedly told Cruise’s representatives “It would not look good for anyone if the photographs became public,” when he made his first approach.

In late August, he agreed to plead guilty to a charge of attempted extortion. His bail was set to $100,000 and he faced up to 2 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The “Sultan of Sleaze,” as he was dubbed for his consistent blackmailing, had talked about suicide before, according to the New York Daily News. Schmidt, 47, was reportedly despondent over the looming jail time and imminent poverty.

Schmidt was known for his ability to get hold of compromising photos and tapes, such as nude pictures of socialite Paris Hilton and of Gennifer Flowers, who claimed to have had an affair with former President Bill Clinton.

He also said he had a sex tape of Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on “Saved by the Bell,” although I’m not sure who would have wanted to buy that.

He even claimed to have nude photos of “Desperate Housewives” actress Marcia Cross, who had accidentally thrown them with the household garbage.

Schmidt was due in federal court in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.

Schmidt and Marc Lewis Gittleman, a data recovery expert, were both arrested in July by the FBI. Gittleman was accused of stealing more than 700 photographs of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ 2006 wedding from the hired photographer’s computer.

It was allegedly Gittleman who contacted Schmidt for a blackmailing “collaboration.” He was charged with conspiracy to commit extortion and faces up to five years in prison.