Updated — 2:40 p.m. ET
The indictment alleges that the two brothers did not properly pay taxes on $8.9 million in income Michael Sorrentino received from promotional activities, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Both men have been charged with "conspiracy to defraud the United States" and face three years in prison and fines of $250,000 for falsifying their tax returns for 2010, 2011 and 2012. "The Situation" also faces a separate count for allegedly failing to file a tax return for 2011, which means he could face up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine on that charge alone.
The duo is being investigated by the same office that prosecuted Teresa and Joe Giudice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
The whole cast of MTV's Jersey Shore catapulted to fame after the show premiered in 2009. Jersey Shore became a phenomenon, and its ratings continuously broke records for cable. With the show's success, cast members, particularly Sorrentino and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, drew lucrative endorsement deals and tens of thousands of dollars for appearance fees.
Along the way, Sorrentino, famous not only for his Gym-Tan-Laundry catchphrase, but also for his partying, realized he was a prescription pill-addict, and went to rehab in 2012. Most recently, he and his family appeared on a new show for TV Guide Network called The Sorrentinos. It has not been renewed for a second season.
