'Real Housewives of New Jersey' Teresa, Joe Giudice Plead Guilty; 'I Am Heartbroken' Says Mom of Four
"Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice pleaded guilty to several mortgage and bankruptcy fraud charges on Tuesday.
Last year, the Bravo TV stars were charged with 41 counts of fraud including several counts of bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and failing to pay taxes.
While they initially pled not guilty to two charges in November, they pleaded guilty to four of the fraud charges during a hearing at the Newark Federal Court on March 4 in exchange for a plea deal. The couple, who share four children Gia, 13, Gabriella, 9, Milania, 8, and Audriana, 4, are scheduled for sentencing on July 8, according to E! News.
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Joe, who works as a builder and restaurant owner, has been embroiled in ongoing legal woes including driving without a license for several years. The father of four, 43, reportedly faces 37 to 46 months in federal prison while Teresa faces 21 to 27 months.
The reality TV star, 41, spoke out in a statement following her and Joe's court appearance.
"Today, I took responsibility for a series of mistakes I made several years ago. I have said throughout that I respect the legal process and thus I intend to address the Court directly at sentencing. I will describe the choices I made, continue to take responsibility for my decisions, and express my remorse to Judge Salas and the public," Teresa said in a statement obtained by Yahoo News.
"I am heartbroken that this is affecting my family–especially my four young daughters, who mean more to me than anything in the world. Beyond this, I do not intend to speak specifically about the case outside of court, at the recommendation of my attorney and out of deference to the Government and our legal system," she added.
Wendy Feldman, who is a legal crisis consultant for the Giudices, explained that the couple is remorseful and now preparing for sentencing.
"This includes all steps where Teresa and Joe will present their side to the government. We try to paint a picture of who they are as people," Feldman told E! News.
"It's post conviction. What we do now is we show you the person, not the crime ... It's up to the judge. It's the person not the crime," she continued adding, "Teresa and Joe have great respect for the process."
