‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Member the Situation Will Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud
Mike Sorrentino, one of the former stars of Jersey Shore, has gotten himself into a bit of a [...]
Mike Sorrentino, one of the former stars of Jersey Shore, has gotten himself into a bit of a situation with the IRS.
The reality star and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, agreed to a plea deal on Tuesday, promising to plead guilty to charges of tax fraud. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the Sorrentino are due in a New Jersey court at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19 for a change of heart plea hearing.
The U.S. Department of Justice for the District of New Jersey has accused the Sorrentino brothers avoiding paying their federal income tax on $8.9 million between 2010 and 2012. They're also accused of structuring cash deposits into various bank accounts so that they could avoid reporting their income to the IRS.
In addition, the brothers allegedly "inflated" their business expenses to include luxury cars, clothing, and other unnecessary purchases.
According to the court documents, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino could face up to 15 years in a federal prison. His brother, who has officially worked as his manager, could be looking at 25 years of incarceration.
The plea deal comes just as Sorrentino is due in Miami to begin filming Jersey Shore: Family Reunion. The reboot season has been generating a lot of buzz since the premiere of the spin-off series, Floribama Shore in the fall. The rest of the cast has been teasing their return to Miami on social media since Tuesday.
Initial announcements claimed that the entire original cast would return for Family Reunion, except for Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, who didn't want to spend time with her ex-boyfriend, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. However, in a recent interview with US Weekly, Jenni "JWOWW" Farley told reporters that she's holding out hope that Giancola will make an appearance.
Producers are likely hoping that Farley is right, with the imminent loss of Sorrentino now threatening the new season. Even if Sorrentino has some time to dedicate to the reality show before he serves his sentence, his on-screen demeanor might not be so chipper.