Jersey Shore cast member Mike (The Situation) Sorrentino is trading life in the Jersey Shore house for time behind prison bars.
The 36-year-old reality star turned himself in at the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in upstate New York on Tuesday to begin serving an eight-month sentence for tax fraud.
Sorrentino and his brother, Marc, pleaded guilty last January to similar charges. They were charged in 2014 with tax offences related to nearly US$9 million in income.
READ MORE: Snooki discusses why Sammi Sweetheart won’t be on ‘Jersey Shore’ revival
A judge ordered Sorrentino to less than a year in prison followed by two years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service.
The judge also ordered a $10,000 fine and $123,000 in restitution, which was paid into court in Newark, N.J. in October 2018. His brother, Marc Sorrentino, was ordered to serve two years in prison.
Before heading into the prison, Sorrentino went live on Instagram as he was driven to surrender himself at the correctional institution.
“I’m just going to handle this and put this behind me and move forward,” Sorrentino said on Jan. 15, as his wife, Lauren Sorrentino, recorded the video.
She read Sorrentino positive comments that were coming in from fans across the world while they were on Instagram Live.
READ MORE: ‘Jersey Shore’ cast returns for ‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’ in 2018
“You’re going to save a lot of money on food! That’s all we spend our money on,” he told his wife, before getting serious once again.
“The comeback is always greater than the setback,” he said.
“The Situation will reveal himself in 2019. Currently under construction, but will be revealed. Under new management now,” the Jersey Shore Family Vacation star said.
“There is nothing more to say … just take me to jail,” he concluded.
On Jan. 15, he echoed his message from his Instagram Live by posting a similar tweet.
“The comeback is always greater than the Setback,” he tweeted alongside a GIF of actor Ray Liotta saying, “Now take me to jail.”
READ MORE: Selena Gomez breaks silence, returns to social media after hospitalization
Sorrentino tweeted his prison address for family, friends and fans to mail letters.
Sorrentino’s prison address indicates he’ll be housed in the satellite camp, which is for minimum-security male offenders.
According to the official handbook, inmates are allowed 300 calling minutes per month, with a maximum of 15-minutes per call. Visitors on an inmate’s authorized visiting list may include immediate family and 25 additional adults.
The schedule for Otisville prisoners includes being woken up at 6 a.m. on weekdays and breakfast at 6:15 a.m. Inmates must report to work at 7:30 a.m. and work involves providing services for the prison, such as laundry or landscaping.
They eat lunch between 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and dinner is served from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. All inmates must turn off their lights by 11:30 p.m.
The inmates are not allowed to bring a lot of personal items with them. They are only allowed to keep medical or orthopedic devices, legal documents, religious items and prescription eye glasses — as long as they don’t pose a security threat.
READ MORE: ‘Family Guy’ to phase out jokes about the LGBTQ community
On Jan. 15, Sorrentino posted a photo of himself in a “FreeSitch” T-shirt.
“I made a special YouTube video today that will be up in the next few days,” Sorrentino wrote. “See you guys on the other side #FreeSitch.”
Lauren posted a throwback photo of the couple with the caption, “So proud to call this incredible man my husband. Just found this pic from Lake Tahoe the year we got back together in 2013. To the strongest man I know, I love you endlessly, see you soon honey #FreeSitch.”
READ MORE: Snooki on ‘The New Celebrity Apprentice’ is not the Snooki from ‘Jersey Shore’
Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi posted a photo of herself and Sorrentino on her Instagram Story.
“Sending love to my brother today!!!” Polizzi, 31, wrote. “We love you!!!! @mikethesituation.”
Paul (DJ Pauly D) DelVecchio also posted words of encouragement for Sorrentino on social media.
He tweeted, “#FreeSitch,” and added praying hands and raising hands emojis.
— With files from the Associated Press
Comments