Joe Giudice Claims Melissa, Joe Gorga Were ‘Involved’ With the FBI in His Tax Fraud Conviction

Broken family ties. The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Joe Giudice claims Joe and Melissa Gorga were “involved” with the feds in relation to the tax fraud scheme that put him and ex-wife Teresa Giudice in prison during a Monday, June 6, episode of the “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast.

“When [Joe and Melissa] came on the show, they were very good friends with my ex-partner’s attorney – which went to the feds, which I think Melissa and Joe were involved because I know for a fact from an ex-FBI guy who told me that they were helping and doing whatever,” the former reality star alleged. “He told me, ‘Yes’ [Joe] was behind the scenes with my ex-partner Joe Mastropole that went to the feds to feed them all this information.”

Joe admitted he “cheated” on his tax returns but blamed his former accountant for failing to file his personal tax returns with his business documents.

After being asked by the podcast host, David Yontef, if the Gorgas went to the authorities, Joe claimed they invited his former attorneys to an on-camera event to ambush Joe.

“There was a [RHONJ] scene where one attorney was there and gets thrown out of the party. She was actually my ex-partner’s attorney that was going to the feds and working with my ex-partner. So, why would they have these people there? … It doesn’t even make any sense,” Joe ​claimed.

Both Joe and Teresa were found guilty on federal fraud charges in 2013 and the pair served time in prison shortly after. The RHONJ founding member served her 15-month sentence behind bars first. Teresa surrendered herself in January 2015 and was released four months early that December.

The freelance contractor then began his 41-month sentence in March 2016 and was deported to his native country of Italy three years later. However, he now lives in The Bahamas so that his daughters, Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana don’t have to travel as far to visit him.

The former Bravo couple split in 2019 and their divorce was finalized the following year. Teresa is now married to husband Luis Ruelas.

After sharing his strong opinions on his former in-law’s alleged involvement in his legal troubles, Joe claimed his tax fraud ​conviction and sentencing would have been “nothing” if he was a U.S. citizen.

“I would have probably been out in like a year, I would have been home, it would have been over and forgotten,” he continued. “Being that I wasn’t a citizen, that’s what made it so much worse and made it to where it got, which was my fault. I should have always become a citizen but I never did.”