Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino really raked it in after his time on The Jersey Shore, earning nearly $9 million after the show’s six seasons. But on Friday, the reality star admitted he hadn’t paid taxes on that money, pleading guilty to one count of federal tax evasion, NJ.com reports.
Sorrentino and his brother, Marc (who also pleaded guilty Friday), were first charged in 2014, when prosecutors accused them of falsifying their tax returns. Now that the reality star has copped to the charge, he could face up to five years in prison—but not before he goes to film the upcoming Jersey Shore reunion.
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On Friday, a Newark judge gave Sorrentino the OK to fly to Florida so he could film the Jersey Shore Family Vacation alongside almost everyone from the original cast, before he faces sentencing on April 25. According to his lawyer, the Situation “has grown up as a human being,” so this time around he’ll likely end up having a measured dialogue with Vinny about climate change, rather than engaging in another smackdown of neck-brace level proportions.
“Typically, a defendant who has this type of plea agreement does not go to prison,” attorney Henry Klingeman told reporters Friday, “and we’re hoping Mike is not an exception to that.”
Still, Sorrentino didn’t manage to totally avoid a grenade here. He promised to pay $123,000 in restitution to make up for the money he withheld, which ostensibly went toward spray tans, laundromats, and gym memberships or whatever.
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