NEWARK -- Reality TV star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, were slammed with new charges on Friday including tax evasion and falsifying records, authorities said.
Michael Sorrentino, a breakout star of the MTV hit series "Jersey Shore," is charged with tax evasion and making multiple cash deposits to evade reporting requirements. His brother, Marc Sorrentino, is charged with falsifying records to obstruct a grand jury investigation, U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg said.
The charges are in addition to a September 2014 indictment, in which the Sorrentino brothers were charged for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the U.S. They both previously pleaded not guilty.
In a statement, Michael Sorrentino's attorney, Henry E. Klingeman, said his client would plead not guilty to the additional charges "and will vigorously contest the allegations in court."
A call to Marc Sorrentino's attorney was not immediately returned Friday.
Authorities said the brothers created businesses to cash in on Michael Sorrentino's overnight fame from the reality TV show which ran from 2009 to 2012.
The duo, however, did not pay federal income tax owed on $8.9 million earned by Michael Sorrentino between 2010-12 and filed false tax returns, authorities said. The tax returns allegedly underreported net income and disguised payments made to the each of the brothers, the indictment says.
The companies named MPS Entertainment, LLC and Situation Nation Inc. made money off of celebrity appearances and product endorsements by Michael Sorrentino. Money from the business bank accounts were co-mingled with personal bank accounts, according to the indictment, and used to pay for personal items like high-end luxury cars and clothing.
Authorities additionally alleged Michael Sorrentino evaded his 2011 income taxes by not filing a personal return, filing a false return for Situation Nation and concealing his income.
When his brother, Marc, was asked for records of the two companies in a grand jury subpoena, he allegedly falsified documents, changing taxable payments to himself into non-taxable payments, the indictment said.
The brothers could face a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. Michael Sorrentino faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count of evading reporting requirements and five years in prison for the tax evasion count. Marc Sorrentino faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for obstruction.
An arraignment is scheduled for April 17 before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton.
Michael Sorrentino has had his share of legal woes.
In July, 2014 he agreed to attend a 12-week anger management program as part of a plea deal to resolve a simple assault charge he faced following a dispute with his brother, Frank, at their family's Middletown tanning salon.
One of his former attorneys also sued Sorrentino for nearly $30,000 in unpaid legal fees.
Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.