Real Housewives Star Teresa Giudice To Get Out Of Prison Before Christmas

Real Housewives star, Teresa Giudice (pronounced JOO’-dys) will get out of prison in time to celebrate the Christmas holidays with her family.

Giedice, 43, has been serving a 15-month prison sentence for bankruptcy and mortgage fraud at the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) in Danbury, Connecticut, since January 5, 2015. FCI is a low security facility with an adjacent minimum security camp, states the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP.) It houses both male and female offenders, with a total of 683 inmates.

According to Wikipedia, Teresa is Inmate Number 65703-050, and is officially scheduled for an early release on February 5, 2016. However, it appears as if the Real Housewives star will be getting an early Christmas present and will be released from prison even earlier, on December 23.

She will be required to wear an ankle monitor until February 5, reports North Jersey. Beatrice Codianni, managing editor for a prison news website commented on the monitoring system.

“Usually, you do wear an ankle bracelet and you’re limited to how many feet you can go outside your door, and you’re limited to where you can go. And if they call you — they can call you day and night, no matter what hour — you have to answer. If you don’t answer, then you’re in big trouble.”

Giedice’s attorney, James Leonard Jr. originally drove the Real Housewives of New Jersey star to begin her sentence in January and will also be picking her up to bring her home.

“Here’s what I can tell you … she’s getting released on Dec. 23, I don’t know exactly what time. I will be picking her up and driving her home. When she comes home, she will be on home confinement, until Feb. 5. During that period, she will be able to work, she will be able to take care of business, medical [things]. She’ll be out and about. And then when that period ends, she will begin a period of supervised release. The sentence that she got was two years of supervised release.”

This means that she will be allowed to attend family events and to work, as long as she asks permission first. She plans on spending time Christmas Eve at the home of her brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Melissa Gorga.

According to North Jersey, the Real Housewives of New Jersey may have Giudice back in the cast next season. Leonard would only state that “If she were to re-sign with Bravo, she would be permitted to film the show … That’s how she supports her family.”

Teresa will be heading home to her house in Montville to be with Joe Giudice, her husband, and their four children. According to ABC News, Teresa is “upbeat and looking forward to coming home.”

The Real Housewives star and her husband pleased guilty to 41 counts of fraud on March 4, 2014 after negotiating with federal prosecutors. The couple had been charged with bank, wire, mail, and bankruptcy fraud to the tune of netting over $5 million over 10 years.

The Giudices submitted fraudulent loan applications to obtain about $5 million in construction loans and mortgages, ABC News states. They hid assets from bankruptcy creditors as well.

Joe was also accused of not filing tax returns for the years 2004 through 2008, while he earned almost $1 million. In addition, he used his brother’s birth and marriage certificates to illegally obtain a driver’s license two years later. Joe’s real license had been suspended in 2010 after he had a DUI arrest and conviction, resulting in community service of 20 days and the 12-month suspension of his license.

Joe was sentenced to 41 months, with a possible deportation to Italy following. Teresa received 15 months. In addition, they must pay restitution of $414,000.

So that one parent can always be with the children, the couple is allowed to serve their sentences separately. Teresa began hers first, and Joe will serve his sentence after Teresa is done. He will begin his term in March, 2016 at the Federal Corrections Institution at Fort Dix (FCI Fort Dix.) Located in New Jersey, FCI Fort Dix is a low-security federal prison for male offenders.

The Giudices’ still have trouble on their doorstep, however. The Internal Revenue Service filed a $551,563 tax lien on their home, claiming that the tax bills for nine years between 2000 and 2013 had never been paid. Their attorney commented on this issue.

“It’s Christmastime. We’re trying to keep things very positive and upbeat. And I’m gonna decline comment on things like that.”

No matter what happens in 2016, at least the Real Housewives star, Teresa Giudice will be released from prison early to celebrate the Christmas holidays with her husband and daughters.

[Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]