Judge nixes ‘Real Housewives’ star Teresa Giudice’s bid to serve prison term in halfway house

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal judge won’t recommend that prison officials allow “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice to serve most of her prison sentence in a halfway house.

A lawyer for Giudice had filed a letter with a judge in Newark this week, asking for a recommendation that she serve 12 months in a halfway house. Prosecutors opposed the request, and U.S. District Judge Esther Salas announced Wednesday that she would not make the recommendation.

The judge said Giudice should have made the request to serve time at a halfway house — the maximum that could be served at such facilities — at her Oct. 2 sentencing. But even then, the judge said, she likely would have denied it.

Giudice’s new attorney, Stacy Ann Biancamano, said her client would have made the request at that time but did not know that she could.

The judge also announced Wednesday that she was told Giudice will be assigned to a prison camp facility in Danbury, Connecticut, and must report there on Jan. 5.

Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in prison for bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy. Her husband, Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice, was sentenced to 41 months.

The Giudices pleaded guilty in March, admitting they hid assets from bankruptcy creditors and submitted phoney loan applications to get $5 million in mortgages and construction loans. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to failing to pay taxes totalling more than $200,000.