The Situation of 'Jersey Shore' Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
UPDATE: On the morning of Friday, Jan. 19, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino did indeed enter a guilty plea. However, the judge approved The Situation to travel to Miami for the "Jersey Shore" reunion. That said, he still faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. (That's a lot better than 15 years in prison, so he should probably be happy with that deal.) His sentencing is currently scheduled for late April.
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"Jersey Shore" could go to prison for tax fraud. So the "Jersey Shore" reunion may have a situation.
According to The Blast, Mike Sorrentino and his brother Marc "have agreed to plead guilty" to at least some of the charges against them. That list includes not paying all federal income tax owed, and also "inflating business expenses for luxury cars and clothing, and also structuring multiple cash deposits into different bank accounts in order to avoid reporting deposits to the IRS."
Justice Department lawyers allege the brothers "conspired to defraud the United States by not paying all federal income tax owed on approximately $8.9 million that Michael earned between 2010 and 2012." (Pause to absorb the shock that The Situation made that much money in two years.)
Last week, the reality TV star had rejected a plea deal, but apparently he had a change of heart. The terms of The Situation's situation aren't clear, but he could face up to 15 years in prison, while his brother could face 25 years. The plea hearing is scheduled for this Friday.
That's crazy, that's wild. And could it throw a wrench into MTV's plans for "Jersey Shore Family Vacation"? That's the big revival for all of the original cast members, minus Sammi Sweetheart. It was just revealed that their vacay destination is their old Season 2 haunt, Miami. But what if the government has a different destination for The Situation in mind? No premiere date has been set, so it's possible the filming and air date won't interfere with whatever sentence is handed down.
Mike Sorrentino appeared on "Jersey Shore" from 2009 to 2012, and also on several other reality TV shows -- including "Dancing With the Stars," "Celebrity Big Brother," "Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition," and with his family on "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars - Family Edition," and "The Sorrentinos."
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