The 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star Teresa will do her prison stint first so her husband Joe can stay home to take care of their four daughters.
- Oct 3, 2014
AceShowbiz - "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe Giudice are heading to prison. The husband was sentenced to 41 months in prison, and the wife was ordered to spend 15 months in the slammer. The Bravo reality TV stars were also required to pay restitution of $414,588.
In March, the couple pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and failing to pay taxes between 2004 - 2008. They were slapped with multiple fraud charges for exaggerating their income when applying for loans prior to their 2009 debut on the Bravo show and then hiding their assets when filing for bankruptcy a year later.
Teresa will serve her jail time first so that Joe can take care of their four daughters. Before the sentencing, the judge turned down her request to do her stint at her Towaco, N.J. mansion. She broke down in tears in court. "I'm not gonna deny it, I'm so scared, I'm really scared," she said. "I'm a good woman of faith and heritage." She added, "This is not how I was raised. I will make this right, your honor."
Joe vowed "to be a better person." He said as quoted by New York Daily News, "I stand here humiliated before the court and society and my family and society." However, the couple arrived in court for the hearing in style despite their trouble. They were riding a white Mercedes Benz GL450 with tinted windows.
They got stiff sentencing from U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas after being slammed for "inconsistencies and omissions" in their financial disclosure forms, pointing out that they have assets that weren't declared.
"They had an obligation to be transparent and candid and open with the court, and I don't think I got that," the judge said after ticking off a list of cars, recreational vehicles, home furnishings and construction equipment mentioned in documents to the feds but not reported to the probation office. "I want to understand the disconnect."
Joe's lawyer blamed the reporting lapses on the death of his client's dad in June. "He hasn't been the same person," the attorney said. "That was his best friend." The lawyer also claimed "Mr. Giudice has no concept what items are worth what." As for the furniture and jewelry they paraded on their reality show, the lawyer said the furniture in their house was borrowed item from Bravo and the jewelry Teresa flaunted was just costume accessory.
