Defendant swallows poison pill in court after hearing guilty verdict! Video

A former Wall Street trader convicted of setting his mansion in Phoenix Arizona on fire in a desperate maneuver to get out of his mortgage put his hands to his mouth - apparently in shock - and collapsed after the guilty verdict was read on Thursday.

He later died, but officials wonder if the hand gesture was actually a final act, planned in advance to poison himself, according to reports.

Miguel Marin, 53, had just been found guilty of arson in the Maricopa County Superior Court, a crime that could have put him in jail for almost 16 years, the news media reported.

About five minutes after learning his fate, a video showed him covering his mouth with his hands and swallowing, according to the news media.

He was also sometimes seen drinking from a bottle of sports drink.

Moments later, he turned and spoke to the people behind him and grabbed a tissue from a woman. He seemed to be crying, but his body twisted in violent convulsions.

Ten minutes later, Marin was put into an ambulance and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to reports.