UPDATE: Teresa Giudice was just sentenced to 15 months in prison. It looks like both Teresa and Joe are headed to jail after all.
If former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice thought throwing Bravo under the bus would get her and husband Joe any leniency, it’s a strategy she may now be forced to rethink and rethink fast.
U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas handed out a verdict for Joe Giudice at the Newark, N.J. courthouse that stunned onlookers.
Salas sentenced the 43-year-old Real Housewives husband to 41 months in prison and ordered him to pay $414,000 in restitution (a great deal more than the meager $7,500 that some sources had originally speculated to be part of the couple’s plea agreement).
When it comes to Teresa, the judge admitted that she was a bit stumped as to exactly how to deal with the 42-year-old housewife. The judge did agree that whatever sentence is handed down to Teresa Giudice, she will serve her sentence first. This will allow their four young daughters to have a parent in the home regardless of which parent is in prison.
'Real Housewives' castmember Teresa Giudice awaits fate, husband gets 41 months in prison http://t.co/LGHIytLDxj pic.twitter.com/QzHM5WSvHb
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) October 2, 2014
Teresa Giudice had reportedly slammed the Bravo network for her portrayal on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Said Giudice, “The image is little more than a carefully crafted fiction, engineered by Bravo TV through scripted lines and clever editing.”
Teresa and Joe wanted the perception shifted from the television show to who they are as people.
Judge Salas did not appear to be moved, noting that the couple failed to disclose all of their assets in a pre-sentencing report.
The New Jersey couple pleaded guilty in March to multiple fraud charges, including failing to file income taxes for nearly $1 million worth of income and submitting inaccurate information in order to obtain millions of dollars worth of loans.
Despite acquiring a great deal of wealth in recent years thanks to a failure to honestly represent themselves, the Giudice’s are blaming negative public perception on their participation in a reality television show.
What do YOU think? Was the sentencing for Teresa and Jo fair? Should the fact that they have children allow a delay in serving jail time? Comment below!