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Teresa and Joe Giudice Thought They Were Above the Law

Celebrities, Celebrity Lawsuits, Celebrity News, Celebs, Criminal Law, Joe Guidice, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Guidice

Teresa and Joe Giudice of Real Housewives of New Jersey notoriety (notice I don’t say fame) bragged constantly on air and social media about their family, their money and their material possessions. To many, they were brash, rude and offensive so in 2013 when they faced a federal multi-count indictment detailing white collar crimes ranging from conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud to making false statements on loan applications, to bankruptcy fraud, among other things, there was not a great deal of empathy for the showy duo. (Note that Joe faced additional charges for failing to file tax returns from 2004-2008.)

Teresa and Joe pleaded not guilty to the charges in the federal indictment and so solid (delusional?) was Teresa’s belief in her innocence that her lawyer stated that they were looking forward to vindication. As we all well know, that vindication was not to come because on March 4, 2014, Teresa and Joe struck a plea deal with prosecutors. They each pleaded guilty to various counts of fraud; Joe’s plea included a count for failing to file tax returns.

On October 2, 2014, the mother of four was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Joe was sentenced to 41 months, followed by possible deportation to Italy, where he was born (his parents moved him to the Garden State when he was a year old). In addition the couple was ordered to pay $414,000 in restitution.

From the bench, U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas, who presided over the case, said to Teresa, “For a moment I thought about probation but I think a period of confinement is absolutely necessary in this case.” The judge added, “I don’t honestly believe that you understand or respect the law. I need to send a message. In the eyes of the law, it doesn’t matter who you are. There are consequences to pay.”

And pay they have … Teresa went off first and began her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut on January 5, 2015. She was released two months early on the morning of December 23, 2015. Respected Elizabeth New Jersey criminal lawyer, Michael Borneo, said the following about Teresa’s sentence: “Judges typically have tremendous discretion when sentencing a criminal defendant. It amazes me how often clients show disrespect to the court and learn this lesson the hard way. By all accounts, Teresa Giudice could have avoided prison. Her poor attitude tilted the scales of justice against her.”

Joe is a different story and is currently serving his 41-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Note that this matter isn’t Joe’s first run-in with the law nor his first criminal conviction. In November 2013, he stood trial on charges that in 2010 he used his brother’s marriage and birth certificates to illegally obtain a driver’s license. Joe’s license had been suspended as a result of a DUI earlier that year and apparently he thought this was a good way to get a new one! All that waiting around at DMV for nothing. Joe was convicted, his license was revoked for 12 months, and he was sentenced to 20 days of community service.

Many of us had hoped that being convicted of a crime, publicly humiliated, and shipped off to prison forcing her to be away from her beloved daughters (despite her many shortcomings it is obvious that Teresa is committed to her family and loves her girls very much) would have changed Teresa but it appears it did not. Teresa maintains her innocence and ignorance about the charges levied against her. She still posts pictures of herself and her girls on Instagram which depict a lavish style–one of fancy clothes, jewelry, and just plain over abundance. Prison may be a reality check for many but not for this Jersey reality queen.

I do give great credit to Judge Salas for allowing Joe and Teresa to serve their sentences at different times so that one parent could be home with the children while the other was “locked up”. The kids didn’t ask for this drama in their lives and having both parents gone at the same time would have been very traumatic for them.

If you enjoyed reading about the criminal mess these New Jersey “celebs” created for themselves, please visit the rest of PROOF for more of our one of a kind take on celebrity news.

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[Category: Teresa Giudice | New Jersey | Top Criminal Lawyer Elizabeth NJ]

7 Reality Stars Who Got a Dose of Real Reality When They Broke the Law

Abby Lee Miller, Apollo Nida, Celebrities, Countess Luann de Lesseps, Joe Guidice, Kim Richards, Mendeeces Harris

Most of us accept the fact that reality tv is far from reality but even though we know that, admittedly, sometimes reality TV has even the most discerning of us wondering whether or not these reality stars actually are the way they seem on television. That is especially true when they’re badly behaving. What’s real and what’s scripted on these shows? Table flipping? Screaming? Making bad drunk choices? For the 7 reality stars discussed below, there’s no question because they have the criminal records to prove that their bad behavior: no script in sight.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jersey Shore

We’ve got ourselves a situation (sorry, sometimes we can’t help ourselves)! Well, at least this Jersey Shore star created a pretty bad situation. The 35-year-old and his brother Marc were convicted of tax evasion after they pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and tax evasion back in January 2018. The Situation was attempting to squirrel away his money into secret accounts with the aid of his brother. In October 2018, Sorrentino was sentenced to 8 months in prison, two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $123,913 in restitution (which he has paid) and a $10,000 fine. His brother did not fare as well–he was sentenced to 2 years in prison with supervised release for a year once that ends, an undetermined amount of restitution, and a $75,000 fine. Sibling jealousy might be at its highest for the Sorentino bros.

Abby Lee Miller, Dance Moms

The former Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller was charged in October 2015 with trying to conceal over $750,000 worth of income in secret accounts after she had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The dance coach ended up pleading guilty to charges of bankruptcy fraud in June 2016 and was ordered to serve one year in prison. She began serving her sentence in July 2017 but in March 2018 was released into a halfway house. Did she get special treatment because she’s a reality star? Not really. This type of reduction in sentence is very typical.

Mendeeces Harris, Love & Hip Hop

The reality television star was sent to jail in 2015 after pleading guilty to drug trafficking. He was ordered to serve an 8 year sentence and pay a restitution of $170,000. Reportedly he was part of a ring that transported drugs from New York City to Rochester County in New York. All in he was alleged to have trafficked more than $2.5 million worth of illegal substances in a 7 year span. In early 2018, his lawyers appealed the sentence arguing, among other things, that there was a change in sentencing guidelines and, as such, Harris’ sentence should be reconsidered. A federal appeals court wasn’t having any of that and denied the request to even review the matter.

Apollo Nida, Real Housewives of Atlanta

Nida is the ex-husband of RHOA co-star Phaedra Parks. He was arrested for identity theft and bank fraud in January of 2014. Apparently, Nida created fake companies and set up fake bank accounts using stolen identities. He used those accounts to steal more than $2.3 million! Nida was facing a sentence of 30 years, but in exchange for his cooperation the sentencing recommendation was reduced to eight years and that was what was ordered.

Teresa and Joe Giudice, Real Housewives of New Jersey

Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice’s husband was sentenced to 41 months in prison and Teresa was sentenced to 15 months after the flashy couple was convicted of tax fraud in March 2014 (click here to read more detailed Proof coverage on that). Their illegal behavior brought in extra cash to the tune of $5 million. The judge, recognizing that the Giudice family would be better off if at least one parent was home to care for their four daughters, ordered that the sentences could be served consecutively. Teresa was released right before Christmas 2015. Joe is still in prison and, in a rather shocking turn, a judge has ordered that he will be deported back to Italy once he has served his time.

Kim Richards, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Kim Richard was arrested back in April 2015 after behaving badly at the Beverly Hills Hotel allegedly due to the overconsumption of alcohol. The RHOBH star was drunk at the hotel and asked to leave, at which point she locked herself in the bathroom and had to be forcibly removed. At some point she also kicked a police officer. She was later arrested again for shoplifting at Target in August 2015. She served a combined sentence after pleading no contest (same as a guilty plea really) to resisting arrest and shoplifting–both misdemeanors. She was banned from Target, sentenced to three years’ probation, and ordered to serve 30 days of community labor and mandated to complete 52 weeks of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Adding insult to entitlement (oops, we mean injury) Richards almost found herself facing jail time in 2017 because she didn’t complete the court ordered community service within the designated time frame. Lucky for her she was granted extra time and completed the required hours.

Countess Luann de Lesseps, The Real Housewives of New York City

This RHONY star was arrested after kicking an officer on Christmas Eve 2017. She was charged with resisting arrest, battery of an officer, and disorderly intoxication. The video of her arrest is all over the internet and it is very damaging. The Countess can even be heard threatening the cops,” I will kill you,” she repeats. Yes, we know, the holidays are hard. She subsequently released a statement saying, “I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior. This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding and being there brought up long-buried emotions. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.” She rejected a plea deal in February 2018, but ultimately a deal was made that kept de Lesseps out of jail. She was sentenced to one-year probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, attend two AA meetings per week, not possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs and attend a Victim Impact Class organized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), as well as write a letter of apology to one of the officers.