"Real Housewives of NJ" stars headed to court in fraud case

NEWARK, N.J. - Two stars of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reality show are due in court Tuesday in connection with their fraud case, reports the Bergen Record.

Teresa and Guiseppe 'Joe' Giudice, of Montville, N.J., are expected to plead guilty to several mortgage and bankruptcy fraud charges, a source familiar with the case told the Record. Prosecutors demanded "a packaged deal" from the couple, ensuring that one defendant "could not plead without the other," the source said.

The source said that Teresa Giudice would face less than two years in prison with husband Joe getting a minimum of three years, under federal sentencing guidelines.

The Giudices were indicted last year on 41 counts ranging from bankruptcy and loan application fraud to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for actions that allegedly took place between 2001 and 2011. Their trial date has been scheduled for April 14.

The Record's source said that Joe Giudice is also charged with failing to file tax returns for 2005 through 2009 and will plead guilty to a tax count.

The couple allegedly used fake W-2 forms, tax returns and pay stubs to misrepresent their salaries and receive almost $5 million in mortgages and loans, prosecutors say. The couple is also accused of failing to declare income received from their work on "Real Housewives" and other business ventures in 2009 when they filed for bankruptcy.

Miles Feinstein, Joe Giudice's attorney, would not confirm or deny to the Record that the couple will be taking a plea deal. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office also had no comment on the matter.