Abby Lee Miller Jokes About Bankruptcy Fraud Charges, ‘Dance Moms’ Star Faces Up To Five Years In Prison


Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller seems not at all fazed with the possibility of spending five years in prison and paying up to $5 million in fines. The ALDC coach even joked about her legal battles in a recent interview.

According to E! Online, Abby Lee Miller is taking everything in stride. At the Bad Moms premiere early this week, the reality star even poked fun at her situation.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes but probably not as many as all those bad moms,” she said.

In June, Miller pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud after the reality star was accused of attempting to hide her true income from Dance Moms. She reportedly attempted to hide $775,000 of her income during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 2010. According to Fox News, the FBI found out that Miller hid more than $228,000 in income from Dance Moms and Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. She also withheld nearly $550,000, which came from personal appearances, dance sessions, and merchandise sold through her website. The investigation began when a bankruptcy judge saw the reality show and speculated that she was making more than the monthly income of $8,899 she had declared.

Miller also pleaded guilty for one count of not reporting an international monetary transaction. According to People, Miller allegedly asked her friends to bring in thousands of dollars in Australian currency, which she brought back into the U.S. In 2014, she reportedly packed $120,000 in separate plastic bags and asked friends to hide the money in their luggage. Miller violated a law that required people to file a report if they were bringing more than $10,000 worth of foreign currency in the U.S.

In spite of her carefree demeanor, Robert Ridge, Miller’s attorney, held that his client is taking the allegations and proceedings “very seriously.” The reality star also reached out to her fans, thanking them for their continuous support in these trying times.

Miller will be sentenced on October 11. Prosecutors believed that the Dance Moms star could face up to $5 million fine and five years imprisonment. Her attorneys, however, were reportedly working with the court to strike a plea deal. Given that her creditors did not suffer any losses, Miller’s lawyers claim that she could only face probation or a maximum of six months imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Abby Lee Miller also cleared up rumors claiming that she was thinking of selling her West L.A. studio. In light of recent events, Miller said that she has been more hands-on than ever in running her business.

“I have a business on Santa Monica Boulevard west of the 405. I pay this exorbitant rent and it’s a set for a lifetime to shoot their television show, and it’s also my dance studio. It’s a working dance studio. Just interviewing managers has been insane. Getting the right people to do the right jobs is what I need to do, and I need to do it myself.”

Miller shared that she has learned to be careful and not to be “too trusting,” a mistake she learned the hard way.

“I’ve just been too trusting out there, and I made mistakes along the way. You know, deal with the consequences.”

The last time Abby Lee Miller appeared in court was back in November, when she pleaded not guilty to bankruptcy fraud. Months later, the ALDC coach, however, decided to “accept responsibility” for her mistakes.

“Events over the past several months have been extremely challenging for me, my family, my friends and most important, my students. Because of this I made the very difficult decision to close the door on this chapter of my life by accepting responsibility for mistakes I have made along the way.”

[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

Share this article: Abby Lee Miller Jokes About Bankruptcy Fraud Charges, ‘Dance Moms’ Star Faces Up To Five Years In Prison
More from Inquisitr