Teresa Giudice Almost Didn't Go To Prison For Fraud, But Then She 'Offended The Court'
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months, though the judge considered giving her probation instead.
The reality star also served time in prison for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud.
Her husband Joe was recently released from prison after a 41-month sentence.
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe are both free citizens after serving time in prison. Joe was recently released after a 41-month sentence, while Teresa served 15 months.
Teresa and Joe's legal trouble started in 2013.
That's when the couple were both indicted on federal fraud charges, per People. Teresa and Joe were accused of exaggerating their income back when they were applying for loans before their reality TV show premiered in 2009.
They were then accused of hiding their increased assets in a bankruptcy filing after the first season of RHONJ aired. Joe had additional accusations of failing to file tax returns between 2004 and 2008.
The couple were convicted of fraud in 2014.
Teresa and Joe were incarcerated on charges of mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud, People reported. The couple reportedly made their situation worse by withholding information in court.
According to judge Esther Salas, who was presiding over the case at the U.S. District Court in Newark, Teresa and Joe were supposed to complete probation reports, listing their assets and specific financial information, and bring them to court. However, the judge said there were still missing items adding up to no small sum of $75,000.
Teresa and Joe's shady behavior "offended the court."
As a result, Salas told Teresa: "On one hand, I see you’re a savvy businesswoman. But then you’re going to tell me you don’t know how to cooperate with probation? Full disclosure of your financial assets was a requirement. The lack of transparency, that’s what offends the court."
"For a moment I thought about probation," the judge said, per the publication. "I don’t honestly believe you understand or respect the law. I need to send a message. In the eye of the law, it doesn’t matter who you are. There are consequences to pay."
Teresa was released from prison on December 23, 2015.
After nearly a year in prison (Teresa's sentence began on January 5, 2015), the Housewife was released from Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut just in time for the holidays.
"She is thrilled that she is finally going home," a source close to the reality star told People at the time. "Prison was tough for her, but she made the best of it." Teresa, Joe, and their children then had a "very emotional, very private" reunion at home, her attorney, James J. Leonard, Jr., said.
Joe was released from prison in March 14, 2019.
Three years after he was admitted to Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey in March 2016, Teresa's husband was released from prison. However, he wasn't able to head straight home to his Housewife.
A judge ordered Joe to be deported to his native Italy at the end of 2018. "Mr. Giudice was ordered removed by an immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review," ICE said in a statement to E! News. "Mr. Giudice has reserved his right to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals and has 30 days to file an appeal before the order becomes final."
After leaving prison, Joe was transferred directly to an immigration detention center, and then flew to Italy a few months later.
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