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Alan Duke, CNN
3 minute read
Updated 7:36 AM EDT, Wed July 9, 2014
Teresa Giudice and husband Joe Giudice, both of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey," pleaded guilty in March 2014 to multiple federal fraud charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and lying on mortgage and loan applications. Teresa was freed from prison in December 2015 after serving 15 months; Joe began serving his 41- month sentence in June 2016. Click through to see other "RH" stars who have found themselves in court.
Kim Richards of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" has had some trouble. In August 2015 she was arrested and accused of shoplifting from a Target store in the San Fernando Valley. The incident came four months after she was arrested and accused of trespassing, resisting arrest and public intoxication. She later went into rehab which she has participated in a few times over the years.
In July 2014 Apollo Nida, husband of Phaedra Parks from "Real Housewives of Atlanta," was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by five years of supervised release "for conspiring to commit mail, wire and bank fraud." The couple, who share two sons, split the same year.
In May 2014, former "Real Housewives of New York" cast member Bethenny Frankel testified in court during a custody battle with ex-husband Jason Hoppy for their 4-year-old daughter, Bryn. That case was settled in June, but that's not Frankel's only courtroom trouble. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2012, Frankel settled a $100 million lawsuit over her popular Skinnygirl co*cktail brand after a management company accused her of cutting them out of the lucrative deal when she sold her company.
In 2013, NeNe Leakes remarried her ex-husband Gregg Leakes, and the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" stars were accused by their wedding planner of not paying a balance of more than $1 million. Leakes denied the accusation on her Twitter account. The case was eventually dismissed.
Jacqueline Laurita and her husband, Chris, were sued by the bank that held their mortgage on accusations of missing payments. The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member had also been accused of owing state taxes.
"Today" called it the "battle of the bulge" when former "Real Housewives of New York" Heather Thomson was sued in March 2013 by Spanx over her brand of Yummie Tummie shapewear.
"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Vicki Gunvalson dodged a legal bullet when a $250,000 breach of contract suit against her was dismissed in July 2013. But boyfriend Brooks Ayers didn't fare so well in the case, which accused Gunvalson of giving Ayers a percentage of a vodka business without informing her business partner. The portion of the suit against Ayers was not dismissed.
"Real Housewives of New York" dealt a great deal with the financial troubles of cast member Sonja Morgan. She blamed it partially on a $7 million judgment entered against her over a failed movie project she was producing.
"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak was accused of being tardy with the money in March 2013 by fellow cast member Kandi Burruss and producer Don Vito. The pair accused her of denying them payment and rights to her single "Tardy for the Party." Zolciak released a statement denying the claims.
Kelly Bensimon of the "Real Housewives of New York" was arrested in 2009 for allegedly punching her then-boyfriend. That same year, she was accused in a suit of copying a jewelry design.
"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Gretchen Rossi was awarded more than $500,000 in damages after an ongoing legal battle with a man who claimed to have had a secret relationship with her. When Jay Photoglou sued her for libel and slander, Rossi countered with accusations including stalking, battery and emotional distress.
"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Sheree Whitfield made headlines when her own divorce attorneys sued her for lack of payment. They were eventually awarded a judgment.
Micah and Peggy Tanous of "Real Housewives of Orange County" beame part of a long line of cast members who have had financial woes. She was reportedly in dispute with three banks over her mansion.
A former employee of "Real Housewives of New York" cast member Cindy Barshop's filed a discrimination charge against her in 2011. The woman claimed she had been fired from Barshop's Completely Bare salon because of her race, but the suit was eventually dismissed.
Fans of "Real Housewives of Orange County" watched as Lynne Curtin and her family were served an eviction notice in 2009. That same year, TMZ reported that a bench warrant had been issued for Curtin and her then-husband, Frank, for a $1.2 million judgment issued against them.
Who could ever forget Tareq and Michaele Salahi of the failed "Real Housewives of D.C."? According to Jezebel, the famed White House gate-crashers were named in more than 20 civil suits. The pair split in 2012 after Michaele reunited with her former love, Journey guitarist Neal Schon.
'Real Housewives' stars with legal issues
Story highlights
Apollo Nida must serve 5 years on parole after he does 8 years in prison
His fraud scheme stole millions from at least 50 people over four years, prosecutor says
Nida served 5 years in prison before marrying "Housewives" co-star Phaedra Parks
He was busted after a year-long investigation by the U.S. Secret Service
CNN —
Apollo Nida, husband of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” co-star Phaedra Parks, is headed to prison for eight years on fraud charges.
Nida, who appears on the reality TV series with Parks, was arrested in January and pleaded guilty in May to charges in a fraud scheme that federal prosecutors say stole millions of dollars from at least 50 people over four years.
A hearing on July 17 will determine how much restitution Nida must pay to his victims.
Nida, 35, must serve five years under parole supervision after he completes his eight years in a federal prison, U.S. District Court Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. ordered during sentencing Tuesday.
It will be the second prison stint for Nida, who previously served five years in a federal prison for auto title fraud before marrying Parks in 2009.
Nida created two fake collection companies to gather personal information used to steal victims’ identities, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said after his sentencing in Atlanta. He used the information to get fraudulent auto loans in the names of his victims, according to the criminal complaint.
He was busted after a year-long investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.
“Today’s sentencing exemplifies impartial justice regardless of economic class or perceived celebrity status,” U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Reginald Moore said. “Nida’s sentence should be an eye-opener for other like-minded criminals who scheme to steal victims’ identities, defraud them and ignore the consequences of their actions.”
The break in the case came in September, when federal investigators arrested Gayla St. Julein, a woman who “described herself as Nida’s ‘right hand b****’ in executing the legwork of his fraud schemes,” the complaint said.
St. Julien, who previously served prison time for identity theft, told agents that Nida “only paid her ‘scraps’” for her work, compared to the amount of money he made from the fraud schemes,” the filing said.
She turned on him and agreed to let agents record their phone calls, it said.
Nida “knowingly and willfully (did) execute and attempt to execute a scheme to defraud federally insured financial institutions by depositing stolen and fraudulently obtained checks and fraudulently obtained auto loan proceeds into bank accounts opened in the stolen identities of real persons, and conspire with others to do so, and knowingly convert to his use and the use of others stolen and fraudulently obtained United States Treasury Checks,” Special Agent Alexandre Herrera said in a sworn affidavit.
Nida’s fake companies fraudulently signed up with “LexisNexis, Equifax, and Mircrobilt databases” to steal personal information on people.
Along with the fraudulent auto loan checks, Nida stole U.S. Treasury checks, “retirement checks issued to Delta Airlines employees, and checks in the names of real people that were owed unclaimed property from various state and federal government agencies,” the complaint said.
Agents recorded phone calls St. Julien made to Nida during which he discussed details of pending fraudulent auto loans and “details of future auto loan checks that he was expecting to receive any day now from in the mail,” the affidavit said.
‘Real Housewives’ stars face new fraud charges
Porsha Williams charged with battery in scuffle
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