In a letter, prosecutors on Wednesday said Sorrentino and his brother Marc “have agreed to plead guilty,” and will enter their pleas on the morning of January 19 before US District Judge Susan Wigenton in Newark, New Jersey.
The pleas avert a trial scheduled to begin on February 8.
Both brothers faced nine criminal charges, including alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States. It was not immediately clear which charges they will plead guilty to.
Henry Klingeman, a lawyer for Michael Sorrentino, confirmed the hearing schedule but declined further comment. Michael D’Alessio, a lawyer for Marc Sorrentino, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Interim US Attorney Craig Carpenito in New Jersey declined to comment.
“Jersey Shore” ran from 2009 to 2012, and featured young Italian-Americans partying, tanning, and complaining about their jobs at a beachfront T-shirt stand.
Michael Sorrentino, now 35, popularized the phrase “gym, tan, laundry” to describe the pre-party routine of cast members.
Prosecutors accused the Sorrentinos of trying to avoid taxes on $8.9 million (RM35.2 million) of Michael Sorrentino’s income from 2010 to 2012, including by trying to label purchases of clothes, vehicles other personal items as business expenses.
Michael Sorrentino also faced charges including filing a false return for his company Situation Nation Inc, and having, on several days, made multiple cash deposits of less than $10,000 (RM39,600) in different bank accounts to avoid federal reporting requirements.
The brothers’ accountant, Gregg Mark, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to filing fraudulent tax returns on their behalf. Mark has yet to be sentenced, his lawyer Jack Arseneault said in an email.
Michael Sorrentino faces a maximum 10 years in prison on two counts related to the bank deposits, and five years for alleged tax evasion. Marc Sorrentino faces up to 20 years in prison on a grand jury obstruction charge.