Quick Answer: Teresa Giudice and her husband faced federal criminal charges including bank fraud, tax fraud, and bankruptcy fraud following their unsuccessful 2009 bankruptcy filing. The government alleged they conspired to defraud lenders through false representations, with her husband also facing potential deportation as an illegal alien.
Teresa Giudice, one of the stars from Real Housewives of New Jersy is back in the news again and in legal trouble.
In 2009 Giudice and her husband “Joe” Giudice filed an unsuccessful bankruptcy. There were a lot of allegations of impropriety due to her bankruptcy filing and she never received the discharge of her debt. You can read the past article here.
Well it seems the attorneys representing the United States of America didn’t find any of this funny or worth of a Bravo television series.
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Today Teresa Giudice and her husband, who is apparently an illegal alien and facing possible deportation, were all dressed up and in federal court.
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The were hit with a criminal indictment which alleges they conspired to do a lot of stupid things like bank fraud, tax fraud and bankruptcy fraud. Court documents say they “did knowingly and intentionally conspire and agree with each other and others to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud the Lenders and to obtain money from the Lenders by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.” – Source
In my experience, while few are prosecuted for bankruptcy fraud, those that are seem to emerge more like a fine Italian sausage.
In this case the government states:
A. On or about October 29, 20 09, defendants GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE filed and caused the filing of a voluntary 13 petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the B a nkruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, in the proceeding entitled In re: Teresa and Giuseppe Giudice, Case No. 0 9-39032 (the “Bankruptcy Petition” ).
B. On October 29, 2009, defendants GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE filed and caused the filing of documents relating to their Bankruptcy Petition, including a Statement of Financial
Affairs and Schedules of Assets and Liabilities . The defendants signed these documents under penalty of per jury .
C. On or about December 17, 2009, January 8, 2010, and March 2, 2010, defendants GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE filed and caused the filing of am ended documents relating to their
Bankruptcy Petition, including amended Statements of Financial Affairs and Schedules of Assets and Liabilities. The defendants signed these documents under penalty of per jury.
D. On or about December 23, 2009, April 23, 2010, April 30, 2010, and December 15, 2010, defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE testified under oath in connection with the bankruptcy proceedings. On or about December 23, 2009, April 23, 2010, and June 29, 2011, defendant TERESA GIUDICE testif ied under oath in connection with the bankruptcy proceedings.
E . On or about August 26, 2011, defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and the United States Trustee filed a consent order in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey in which the parties agreed that defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE would be denied a bankruptcy discharge , On or about September 6, 2011, a Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey approved the consent order.
F. On or about December 7, 2011, defendant TERESA GIUDICE and the United States Trustee filed a consent order in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey in which the parties agreed that defendant TERESA GIUDICE would be denied a bankruptcy discharge . On or about December 15, 2011, a Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey approved the consent order.
G. TG Fabalicious Limited Liability Company d/b/a TG Fabulicious LLC (“TG Fabulicious”) was a limited liability company existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey that was formed
on or about April 20, 2009. Defendant TERESA GIUDICE was the sole member/manager of TG Fabulicious.
H. On or about May 18, 2009, defendant TERESA GIUDICE registered the website domain name tgfabulicious.com, and soon thereafter began selling fashion merchandise on this website. Proceeds from the sales were deposited into a business bank account that defendant TERESA GIUDICE had established at a bank in New Jersey on or about April 21, 2009 (the “TG Fabulicious Bank Account”). The TG Fabulicious Bank Account was closed in or about March 2011.
I. On or about August 12, 2009, defendant TERESA GIUDICE filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the mark “Fabulicious .”
J. Name Brand Clothing Limited Liability Company (“Name Brand”) was a limited liability company existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey that was formed on or about February 12, 2009. Defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE was the sole member/manager of Name Brand. From in or about February 2009 through in or about July 2009, Name Brand had a business bank account in New Jersey (the “Name Brand Bank Account”)
K. 1601 Maple Avenue, LLC (“1601 Maple Avenue”) was a limited liability company ex isting under the laws of the State of New Jersey that was formed in or about August 2008. Defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE was the sole member/ manager of 1601 Maple Avenue . 1601 Maple Avenue collected rent from tenants at a gas station located at 1601 Maple Avenue in Hillside, New Jersey. From in or about January 2009 through in orab out December 20 09, 1601 Maple Avenue had a business bank account in New Jersey (“1601 Maple Avenue Bank Account”)
L. Turo Fuel Corporation d/b/a Turbo Fuel Corporation (“Turbo Fuel”) was a Domestic Profit Corporation existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey that was formed in or about December, 2008. Defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE was the sole member/manager of Turbo Fuel. From in or about January 2009 through in or about December 2009, Turbo Fuel had a business bank account in New Jersey (the “Turbo Fuel Bank Account”)
M. In or about July 2005, defendant TERESA GIUDICE purchased a residential property in Lincoln Park , New Jersey (the “Rental Property”). On or about April 1, 2009, defendant GIUSEPPE GIUDICE entered into a lease with a tenant to rent the Rental Property on a monthly basis (the “Rental Property Lease”). From in or about April 1, 2009 through in or about January 2012, defendants GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE received approximately $42,968 in rental income under the terms of the Ren tal Property Lease (the “Rental Property Income”).
N. From in or about June 2008 through the filing of the Bankruptcy Petition, defendant TERESA GIUDICE received income of approximately $110,677 from various sources, including her work as
an actress on the television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (the “Television Show”), sales from the tgfabulicious.com website, and payments from personal and magazine appearances.
O. On or about June 5, 2009 and Au gust 27, 2009, defendants GIUSEPPE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE signed agreements in connection with then-upcoming Season Two of the Television Show whereby they would receive approximately $110,000 in compensation.
The government feels the couple did intentionally conceal or hide the following items in their bankruptcy proceeding.
They are accused of lying under oath during the bankruptcy matter.
If you want to read the full court document with all the juicy bits about banking and tax fraud, click here.
Too bad the couple was not offered a new show called What Not to Do in Bankruptcy. They’d be stars for sure.
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