Routine gym, tanning and laundry trips might need to be put on hold for MTV reality star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, because he's apparently really low on funds. According to The Record, Sorrentino's lawyer, Richard Sapinkski, has asked to be removed from his case, claiming his client could no longer continue to pay him properly.
The former Jersey Shore cast member was indicted on tax evasion charges alongside his brother, Marc Sorrentino. The charges include filing false business and personal tax returns between 2010 and 2012. They filed personal luxury expenses like cars and clothing as business costs. Prosecutors also claim the two failed to pay taxes on $8.9 million in income from promotional activities. The Sorrentino brothers were both charged with multiple counts of tax fraud and could possibly face the maximum penalty of between five and 10 years behind bars if convicted.
"I definitely need some time to find a new attorney because I really don't have much left in the bank," said Mike Sorrentino in federal court..
On Friday (Aug. 14), a federal judge told the 33-year-old that he did not qualify for a free, court appointed attorney and is giving him two months to find and hire a new lawyer. The court has rescheduled their trial for September, but a judge has given Sorrentino until Oct. 14 to replace his attorney. Marc Sorrentino, on the other hand, had more luck retaining an attorney. He was appointed one in June after reportedly admitting he had no savings left.
"While certainly your finances may be strained to some degree, I didn't feel that it was appropriate to assign [an attorney]," said U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in a Newark courtroom. "You may have to change some things that you do in your lifestyle to possibly make some room for the payment and retention of counsel," she added.
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 23: Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino and fiancee Lauren Pesce appear for Sorrentino's arraignment on tax fraud charges at the Martin Luther King Building and U.S. Courthouse on October 23, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey.
According to official court documents obtained by People, Marc and Mike Sorrentino knowingly conspired with each other and a few other people to intentionally defraud the United States.
If Mike Sorrentino does not find an attorney by his rescheduled October date, the court will be forced to postpone the trial.
