Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino of Jersey Shore finds himself in a bit of a sticky, um, situation – the former reality TV star was already facing fines and possible jail time in relation to various tax offences, but this week, he was hit with fresh charges that could potentially add even more time behind bars.
On Friday of this week, he and his brother Marc were indicted on charges that included tax evasion, structuring and falsifying records. These new charges follow 2014 indictments for tax offences and conspiracy to defraud. It is alleged that Sorrentino concealed a cash income, evaded his income taxes in 2011, and filed a false tax return for his clothing company Situation Nation.
Amongst other things, it is claimed that the pair failed to pay the appropriate taxes on approximately $8.9 million earned in a three-year period. He is accused of fudging his finances by buying high-end cars and clothes for personal use and writing them off as business expenses, and yeah, even I know that’s not how that works.
In a joint press release, Acting U.S. Attorney William E Fitzpatrick and ADA Attorney General Stuart M Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division said:
“Michael and his brother Marc created businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to exploit Michael’s celebrity status. The superseding indictment alleges that the brothers conspired to defraud the United States by not paying all federal income tax owned on approximately $8.9 million that Michael earned between 2010 and 2012.”“The brothers allegedly filed or caused to be filed with the IRS false tax returns that understated gross receipts, claimed fraudulent business deductions, and disguised income payments made to the brothers and to others and the underreported net business income.”
The Situation is potentially facing up to five years for conspiracy, five for tax evasion, ten for each count of structuring and three for each count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.
The pair will be arraigned on the new charges on April 17.
Source: Variety.
Photo: Jason Merritt / Getty.
