Teresa and Joe Giudice, stars of the Bravo series “Real Housewives of New Jersey” have been sentenced to federal prison for a bankruptcy and mortgage fraud scheme.
Teresa Giudice was sentenced on Thursday to 15 months in prison for her part in the scheme. When she is released from prison, Giudice will be subject to two years of supervised probation.
Earlier Thursday, Joe Giudice received a sentence of 41 months, with an additional 12-month sentence to be served concurrently.
In March, the couple pleaded guilty to charges alleging that they falsified loan applications to fraudulently obtain $5 million in mortgages and construction loans over an eight-year period.
U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas ruled that Teresa Giudice serve her sentence before Joe, so that one parent would be home with the couple’s four children during the duration of their parents’ time in prison.
Teresa was ordered to surrender Jan. 5, so she could spend the holidays with her family before reporting to prison.
According to a report from NorthJersey.com, the couple left the courthouse hand-in-hand after Teresa’s sentence was handed down late Thursday.
From the NorthJersey.com report:
Outside the courthouse, Paul Fishman, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, said the sentencing was "fair, appropriate and reasonable and our office is satisfied." The sentencing, he said, "sends a message to everyone watching and hopefully people will think twice."
Additionally, the couple must pay $414,588 in restitution for their crimes.
According to other media reports, it is thought that Joe Giudice, who came to the U.S. from Italy as an infant and is still an Italian citizen, could be deported to Italy at the conclusion of his sentence.
Giudice’s attorney previously claimed that Joe did not know he wasn’t an American citizen.
(Picture above courtesy of People Magazine)
