Teresa and Joe Giudice Sentenced on Fraud Charges
The day has finally come: Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe were sentenced in court this afternoon on a string federal fraud charges the couple plead guilty to in March. The charges included hiding income and lying during a bankruptcy hearing.
Joe’s sentencing came first. According to People, U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas gave him “41 months in prison on four counts, plus 12 months on an additional count, to be served concurrently. He’ll also get two years probation and will have to pay $414,000 to Wells Fargo bank, plus $10,000 in fines.”
Before being sentenced, Joe stood before the court to read a letter, saying, “I stand here humiliated before the court and my family and society. … I disgraced many people, including my wife and four daughters. I take full responsibility for my actions. I promise to be a better person.”
UPDATE: NJ.com reports that Teresa Giudice’s sentencing has come in, and she is ordered to spend 15 months in federal prison.
Giudice must serve her sentence before her husband, Joe, begins his own term. The arrangement allows one of the parents to remain with the couple’s four daughters. U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas ordered the wife to serve two years’ probation following the completion of her term and fined her $8,000.
Salas, who spoke for about 10 minutes in the Newark courtroom, said she considered sparing Teresa Giudice from prison. In the end, however, the judge said she needed to send a message.
“For a moment, I thought about probation,” Salas said. “For a moment.”