[1] He published his first book in 2002, You Got Nothing Coming,[2] based on his experiences serving a 2+1⁄2-year sentence in a Nevada State Prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Mark Slavin in 1997.
[3] According to Lerner's account, Slavin was a seemingly ordinary person, but drug addiction left him prone to erratic and often violent behavior.
When the two men visited Reno, Nevada, to try their luck at the blackjack tables, Slavin assaulted Lerner, then tried to kill him in their room at the Sundowner hotel-casino.
"[6] Lerner pleaded guilty to a reduced plea of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon, and was given two six-year sentences, to be served consecutively.
In 2004, Slavin's sister Donna Seres sued Lerner under Nevada's Son of Sam law, which prohibits criminals from profiting from their crimes.