Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s time on The Sopranos was spent within a family touched by organized crime and now one is hitting close to home in her real life too. The actress’ ex-husband, Abraxas “AJ” Discala, was just sentenced to over a decade in prison for orchestrating an elaborate stock scheme. Radar Online reports that Discala has been sentenced to 11.5 years for a $300 million stock scheme. According to Page Six, Discala has also been ordered to pay $2,484,873 in fines related to the crime. He will be expected to pay restitution as well, which will be determined at a later date.
Discala was the CEO OmniView Capital Advisors, which no longer exists. He was also Sigler’s money manager before they tied they wed in 2003. Sigler married Discala when she was just 22-years-old. They divorced two years later in 2005. She is not connected to her ex-husband’s crimes.
Videos by PopCulture.com
According to reports, Discala was accused of the “pump-and-dump” scheme in May 2018. Prosecutors claim he artificially inflated shares of high-risk stocks and sold them off to unknowing investors before “the securities crashed.” The crash ultimately made the stocks worth nothing.
“Discala conspired to manipulate trading activity in penny stocks in furtherance of a scheme to defraud the securities market and investing public of millions of dollars,” Breon Peace, US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement after Discala’s sentencing. “With today’s sentence, Discala has been held accountable for his crimes and the harm he caused to investors,” he added.
Discala’s promised to fight the verdict. “Obviously, we are disappointed, but we believe we have serious issues for our post-trial motions, so we are going to continue to fight on behalf of Mr. Discala,” Charles Ross said at the time of the charges being announced in 2018.
Sigler starred as Mafia princess Meadow Soprano on the iconic drama series. Of their split, she told People Magazine in 2006 that she simply outgrew the relationship. Discala is over 10-years her senior. “I met A.J. when I was 19. We started dating when I was almost 21. But from the day I met him he was the man in my life. So I basically went from being in high school and having my parents take care of me to A.J. being that caretaker,” she explained at the time. “Now, being 24 and single again, you learn a lot about yourself. This is the time to find out what Jamie wants. Who Jamie is. But with A.J. and I there’s no hatred, there’s no anger. I still love him very much. I know he loves me. It’s just what’s best for both of us.”
