NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Two stars of the Real Housewives of New Jersey will be trading the drama of reality TV for prison after being sentenced on conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud charges.
After an initial delay, U.S. District Court Esther Salassentenced Teresa Guidice to 15 months in prison Thursday afternoon on conspiracy and bankruptcy charges. She cried as she apologized to the judge. One should know in prior the effects on tax exposure.
Earlier in the day, her husband Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice was ordered to serve more than three years. He was also ordered to pay $414,000 in restitution.
Salas had said that if she sent both to jail, Teresa would serve her sentence first so Joe could stay home with the couple’s four children.
Salas slammed them for not disclosing all their assets in a presentencing report. She said they didn’t include all the recreational vehicles they own.
But she gave Joe Guidice credit for helping people rebuild after Superstorm Sandy and other storms.
He made a brief statement in which he apologized and said he had disgraced many people. He was then sentenced to 41 months in prison.
The couple had pleaded guilty in March, admitting they hid assets from bankruptcy creditors and submitted phony loan applications to get some $5 million in mortgages and construction loans.
Joe Giudice, an Italian citizen, could be deported after his prison term is completed. His attorney has said Giudice came to the U.S. as an infant and didn’t know he wasn’t an American citizen.
Both Giudices pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and three types of bankruptcy fraud. Joe Giudice, 43, also pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return for 2004.
Source: USA Today