AP
In this July 30, 2013 file photo, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice, 43, left, and his wife, Teresa Giudice, 41, of Montville Township, N.J., walk out of Martin Luther King, Jr. Courthouse after an appearance in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
NEWARK, N.J. Two stars of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are facing additional federal fraud charges.
Giuseppe Giudice, 43, and Teresa Giudice, 41, were indicted Monday on one count of bank fraud and one count of loan application fraud each.
Authorities allege the couple prepared a mortgage loan application stating that Teresa Giudice worked as a real estate agent and made $15,000 a month. In reality, authorities said, she was not employed.
Monday's charges are in addition to a 39-count indictment handed down in July charging the couple with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications, and bankruptcy fraud.
Giuseppe Giudice also allegedly failed to file tax returns from 2004 to 2008.
The North Jersey residents, parents to four young daughters and known on the show for their lavish lifestyle, pleaded not guilty in July and are to be arraigned on the new charges Wednesday.
Henry Klingeman, a lawyer for Teresa Giudice, said she plans to plead not guilty to the new charges.
"She looks forward to defending herself at the trial, scheduled for Feb. 24, 2014," Klingeman said in a statement. "Beyond that, we will answer all of the charges in court, not out."
Miles Feinstein, a lawyer for Giuseppe Giudice, said his client planned also to plead not guilty.
Authorities said the couple exaggerated their income while applying for loans before their TV show debuted in 2009, then hid their improving fortunes in a bankruptcy filing.
Prosecutors alleged in July that the Giudices submitted fraudulent mortgage and other loan applications from 2001 to 2008, a year before their Bravo show debuted. The couple is alleged to have made phony claims about employment status and salaries and in some cases filed fake W-2 forms and tax returns.
Prosecutors said the couple received about $4.6 million in mortgages, withdrawals from home equity lines of credit, and construction loans.
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