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Reality TV Personality Enters Plea in Tax Fraud Case

Apr 17, 2017  •  Post A Comment

Former “Jersey Shore” star Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino appeared in federal court today in Newark, N.J., along with his brother Marc Sorrentino. The AP reports that the two men “pleaded not guilty Monday to additional tax fraud charges after federal prosecutors say they filed fake tax returns and claimed luxury car and clothing purchases were business expenses.”

Speaking with reporters outside the courthouse following the hearing, Henry Klingeman, Michael Sorrentino’s attorney, said: “This is a complicated case — Michael is not a complicated person.”

“In 2014, the brothers pleaded not guilty to charges they filed bogus tax returns on nearly $9 million and claimed millions in personal expenses as business expenses,” the AP reports. “Michael Sorrentino was indicted this month on charges including tax evasion, structuring bank deposits to avoid reporting requirements and falsifying records. Marc Sorrentino was charged with falsifying records to obstruct a grand jury investigation.”

The report adds: “Prosecutors allege Michael Sorrentino didn’t pay federal income tax owed on the $8.9 million he earned from 2010 to 2012, failed to file a personal tax return for 2011 and filed fake corporate returns for one of the companies the brothers set up after he gained fame on the show. Prosecutors say he also made a series of bank deposits of under $10,000 to avoid bank reporting requirements.”

As we reported earlier this month, Michael Sorrentino reportedly faces as much as 15 years in prison if he’s found guilty.

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