Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, one of the original cast members of the Jersey Shore, has found himself in quite the… situation. The former reality TV show star and his brother, who also acted as Mike’s manager, have both agreed to plead guilty in a tax fraud case that has resulted in at least seven charges between them.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Sorrentino and his brother/manager stand accused of failing to pay full taxes on $8.9 million in income. The money came from Mike’s promotional activities.
These charges aren’t new—the $8.9 million in unpaid income tax charges stem from 2014—but the fact that both brothers have agreed to plead guilty is. Both the reality TV show star and his brother are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. But Mike’s brother faces three more counts of filing false tax returns for 2010, 2011, and 2012; “The Situation” himself is also facing two counts of the same charge, along with another one for failing to file a tax return at all in 2011.
As if all of that weren’t enough, both of the brothers were already indicted on other charges last year, including tax evasion, structuring, and falsifying records. The two brothers created phony businesses, overstated deductions, and underestimated their income. On these counts alone, both brothers would face between three and 10 years in prison.
The Situation has yet to speak out about these developments, although back in 2014, when this whole mess started, he posted the following photo to his Instagram:
We can now only wonder if he still thinks this is a good legal defense.
