Entertainment

INDICTED with 39 Counts of Fraud BY GRAND JURY

by Lindsay Mannering

If you're anything like me, you've wondered for years when the feds were going to catch up with Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice, and today, we have our answer. A federal grand jury has indicted the Giudices with 39 counts of fraud (THIRTY. NINE.). U.S Attorney Paul Fishman says, "The indictment returned today alleges the Giudices lied to the bankruptcy court, to the IRS and to a number of banks. Everyone has an obligation to tell the truth when dealing with the courts, paying their taxes and applying for loans or mortgages. That's reality."

Slam.

People reports that the Giudices have been accused of a bevy of crimes, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications and bankruptcy fraud, and a failure to file taxes, among other things.

To say these two are in deep trouble might be an understatement.

Fans saw the Giudices file for bankruptcy in 2009 — it was a story line on the show — and now it appears it may have been all a lie. The prosecution alleges that the couple hid Teresa's true income from the show (estimates put that at around $650,000 a season) and that they didn't mention income from rental properties, website sales, and personal appearances.

Teresa's lawyer says she'll plead not guilty, a move Joe's familiar with — he pleaded not guilty to identify theft despite a substantial amount of evidence stacked against him.

Have the Giudices finally been exposed for the lying, cheating swindlers we've all suspected them to be? (Please. Don't tell me you don't count their money and wonder where in God's name it came from. That pizza parlor? I don't think so.)

We'll see what happens with Teresa and Joe, but meanwhile, we can't help but assume that somewhere in 30 Rock, Andy Cohen's pitching a Real Housewives of New Jersey State Penitentiary spinoff to some higher ups.

For the record, we'd watch the shit out of that.