Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Sentenced in Tax Evasion Case
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison on Friday (October 5) after pleading guilty to tax evasion, ABC reports.
The MTV reality star arrived at a federal court in Newark, New Jersey around 11 a.m. EST alongside his fiancée, Lauren Pesce.
His Jersey Shore co-stars—Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Deena Nicole Cortese, Vinny Guadagnino, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio and Angelina Pivarnick joined him outside the courthouse in a show of solidarity. It's unclear whether or not the moment was filmed by MTV cameras.
Prior to the sentencing, Sorrentino's attorneys argued the TV personality should receive probation after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion earlier this year. Prosecutors, however, were seeking a prison sentence of 14 months, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press.
During his January 19 hearing, Sorrentino admitted to making cash deposits back in 2011 in order to avoid federal tax reporting. In 2014, he and his brother, Marc, were charged with multiple tax offenses related to their failure to pay the IRS on a reported near $9 million in earnings between 2010 and 2012.
In April 2017, the two brothers were indicted on additional charges, including falsifying records.
Sorrentino was originally supposed to be sentenced on April 25, but a federal judge allowed the date to be pushed back so Sorrentino could film with his MTV co-stars.
His brother, Marc, was also sentenced in court today. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison, and will need to pay a fine of $75,000 within 30 days.
The judge also ordered Marc to pay restitution, though a number has not yet been decided, PEOPLE reports.