Teresa Giudice could have possibly gotten by with just probation.
However, one wrong move reportedly changed everything.
According to US Weekly, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star failed to disclose a number of high-end expenditures on her government report when she was ordered to do so on March 4.
Her failure to comply with the judge’s request was reportedly considered as blatant disregard for the law, which is why Judge Esther Salas refused to sympathize with the 42-year-old reality star.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, Judge Salas gave a detailed closing statement that explained her reason for sentencing Teresa to 15 months in prison.
“I will say on the outset, I’m going to focus on what I didn’t say to your husband that all of the false declarations, wire fraud, and bank fraud is still your fault,” Judge Salas said to Teresa.
“For a moment, I thought about probation until I read the government’s report. What you did in the financial disclosure really sticks in my craw. It’s what the court has a problem with. It shows blatant disrespect for the court,” she explained.
Apparently, Teresa left out a number of notable expenses including some of her luxury household furnishings, a 1997 Chevy Corvette and her Milania Hair Care and Fabellini lines.
“I’ve seen a lot but I’ve never seen the confusion and work that went into these financial documents…I need a full picture of who you are, I need a full disclosure of your financial assets,” Judge Salas continued.
“It’s not because I want to be nosy. Because of that, I don’t think you respect the laws of this country. You are not as bad as your husband, you do not have the criminal record that he has had, but you are complicit in it.”
The couple reportedly made the process difficult with their refusal to provide the information needed.
“Getting this financial information that I need to judge this case was like pulling teeth, it was the most difficult in all my years as a judge and as a lawyer,” Judge Salas added.
Although the judge expressed disdain for the couple’s actions, she did sympathize with them for the sake of their children. So, Teresa will begin her sentence first in order for their four daughters to still have one parent.
The couple is expected to tape their first post-sentencing interview on Watch What Happens Live on Monday, Oct. 6. Teresa Giudice is reportedly scheduled to begin her prison sentence on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.