Jersey Shore‘s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was sentenced to 8 months in federal prison for tax evasion on Friday. The sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service. Mike was also fined $10,000 and forced to pay $123,000 in restitution.
The reality star pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion in January, while his brother, Marc Sorrentino, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, E! News reported. Marc was sentenced to 24 months in prison and fined $7,500.
According to US prosecutors, the two hid millions of dollars that Mike made while starring on Jersey Shore between 2010 and 2012.
“We are very happy to put this behind us,” he wrote on Instagram alongside photos of him, his co-stars, and his fiancee Lauren Pesce at the sentencing hearing. “Thank you so much for all the love [and] support.”
Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Ronnie Magro-Ortiz, DJ Pauly D, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Deena Cortese, Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick all attended the hearing in Newark, New Jersey. JWoww and Snooki just attended an engagement party for Mike and Pesce last week.
“Michael accepts the Court’s judgment. He is looking forward to marrying his college sweetheart, Lauren Pesce, next month, and moving forward together after he serves his sentence,” Mike’s lawyer Henry E. Klingeman told E! News.
US Attorney Craig Carpenito released a statement about the brothers’ sentencing.
“The law requires all Americans to pay our fair share of taxes,” Carpenito said. “These defendants deliberately flouted this requirement, acting as though fame and celebrity status placed them above the law. They are not. Tax fraud is as serious as any other form of theft from the government, and the sentences imposed today should make that abundantly clear.”
Mike reportedly has 30 to 60 days to surrender.