Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is a free man! The Jersey Shore Family Vacation star was freed from a federal prison in Otisville, New York, on Thursday after spending time behind bars for tax evasion. He was initially accused of trying to avoid paying taxes on nearly $9 million in income.
It may surprise some Jersey Shore fans to learn that Mike Sorrentino’s problems with the IRS go back several years. He was first charged with tax fraud back in September 2014 along with his brother, Marc Sorrentino. Investigators accused them of setting up S Corporations to pay for The Situation’s expenses to avoid paying federal income tax on income earned between 2010 and 2012.
It was April 2017 that prosecutors filed more charges against the Jersey Shore star. Sorrentino was then accused of tax evasion and was said to be setting up bank deposits in such a way that they wouldn’t trigger reporting to the IRS.
Mike Sorrentino was looking at a possibility of several years behind bars and opted for a plea deal instead. The Situation pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and faced the judge in October 2018 for sentencing.
Ultimately, he received a sentence of eight months behind bars. Now that the Jersey Shore star is free, he’s not entirely off the hook, though. He still has two years of supervised release, and Sorrentino must complete 500 hours of community service.
According to federal prosecutors, Sorrentino has already paid back $123,000 in restitution. He has also been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
On January 15, Mike Sorrentino turned himself in and began serving an eight-month sentence at Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in New York.
During his stay, he is said to have buddied up with another infamous inmate, Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland. He also received regular visits from his wife, Lauren Sorrentino, and members of the Jersey Shore Family Vacation cast.