Joe Giudice claims he would never have been convicted and deported had he not appeared on RJHONJ

Reality TV fraudster Joe Giudice has said he would never have been convicted and deported had he not appeared on Real Housewives of New Jersey alongside ex-wife Teresa, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Giudice, 51, was hit with a 41-month jail sentence in 2014 after being convicted of multiple counts of bankruptcy fraud and one of tax dodging.

After being released, he was deported back to his native Italy in 2019 and has been living in the Bahamas since 2021 where he is waging a legal campaign to be allowed back into the US.

The 51-year-old made the comments while moaning about being jailed and ‘dumped’ in Italy in an incendiary new episode of celebrity podcast Behind the Velvet Rope which is out tomorrow.

Asked if he regrets his time on RHONJ by host David Yontef, Giudice said he did not but added the Federal government probably would never have taken any interest in him had he not gained reality TV fame.

Reality TV fraudster Joe Giudice – seen here outside his new home in the Bahamas -said he would never have been convicted and deported had he not appeared on RHONJ, when asked about being jailed and ‘dumped’ in Italy during a podcast that airs on Monday

Giudice, 51, was hit with a 41-month jail sentence in 2014 after being convicted of multiple counts of fraud and one of tax dodging. Ex Teresa was convicted on the same charges and served 11 months in prison, but  was released and filed for divorced. She has since remarried

Giudice, 51, was hit with a 41-month jail sentence in 2014 after being convicted of multiple counts of fraud and one of tax dodging. Ex Teresa was convicted on the same charges and served 11 months in prison, but  was released and filed for divorced. She has since remarried

He said: ‘I probably wouldn’t have ended up here in the Bahamas if I never was on the show. That’s for sure.

‘Nobody would have known about me because I had everything I had way before I got on that show.

‘So, it’s not like RHONJ made my money, you know, bought my house in Montville where we filmed and did everything like that.

‘I had all that way before that. But, you know, they kind of exposed me and I guess the Feds took interest in what was going on.

‘And, you know, I, you know, didn’t have citizenship, which was my main mistake, you know what I mean, but the rest was just, you know, it wasn’t really, you know, a big thing, you know what, I mean. They made it to be what it was.

‘But, I mean, at the end of the day, it wasn’t a big thing,’

He added: ‘They [the FBI] would not have cared [without RHONJ]. Why would they care about me? I mean, I was in that house for 15 years and they never came to visit me, right?’

Giudice’s criminal conviction and subsequent deportation also ended his marriage – with ex-wife Teresa also sentenced to 11 months inside.

At the time of their conviction, the Justice Department released a statement that made an example of the former couple and highlighted the risks of ‘cheating the government’ by failing to pay taxes.

After being released, Giudice, seen here with ex Teresa in 2016, was deported back to his native Italy in 2019 and has been living in the Bahamas since 2021 - where he is waging a legal campaign to be allowed back into the US.

After being released, Giudice, seen here with ex Teresa in 2016, was deported back to his native Italy in 2019 and has been living in the Bahamas since 2021 – where he is waging a legal campaign to be allowed back into the US.

At the time of their conviction, the Justice Department released a statement that made an example of the former couple and highlighted the risks of ¿cheating the government¿ by failing to pay taxes

At the time of their conviction, the Justice Department released a statement that made an example of the former couple and highlighted the risks of ‘cheating the government’ by failing to pay taxes

During the spot, an audibly angry Giudice - seen here with his kids a recent snap posted to his Instagram -  also complained that he would never have been charged with fraud in the Bahamas or Italy, and claimed murderers get treated better than fraudsters in the US

During the spot, an audibly angry Giudice – seen here with his kids a recent snap posted to his Instagram –  also complained that he would never have been charged with fraud in the Bahamas or Italy, and claimed murderers get treated better than fraudsters in the US

Memories: Teresa and her ex Joe had raised their daughters: Gia, 21, Gabriella, 18, Milania, 16, Audriana 13, in the home, until 2014 when when the couple was convicted and ultimately jailed for bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and failing to pay taxes

Memories: Teresa and her ex Joe had raised their daughters: Gia, 21, Gabriella, 18, Milania, 16, Audriana 13, in the home, until 2014 when when the couple was convicted and ultimately jailed for bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and failing to pay taxes

Fighting for family: 'I would like to be able to see my children again in our home state, be a part of their lives, be physically present when they need me and watch them grow up,' he said; L-R Gabriella Giudice, Gia Giudice, Joe, Milania Giudice, Audriana Giudice

Fighting for family: ‘I would like to be able to see my children again in our home state, be a part of their lives, be physically present when they need me and watch them grow up,’ he said; L-R Gabriella Giudice, Gia Giudice, Joe, Milania Giudice, Audriana Giudice

Doting dad: Joe shares Gia, 20, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 15, and Audriana, 12, with ex-wife Teresa

Doting dad: Joe shares Gia, 20, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 15, and Audriana, 12, with ex-wife Teresa 

Amenities: When the reality star filed for divorce in July 2020, she got ownership of their garish mansion -  which sits on 3.7 acres and boast amenities including: a gourmet chef¿s kitchen, an in-ground pool, a Cinderella staircase and a two-story great room; pictured 2020

Amenities: When the reality star filed for divorce in July 2020, she got ownership of their garish mansion –  which sits on 3.7 acres and boast amenities including: a gourmet chef’s kitchen, an in-ground pool, a Cinderella staircase and a two-story great room; pictured 2020

Now remarried, Teresa resides in a 7-bed, 7.5-bath house for $3.35 million just down the road from her old home with her new husband Louis Ruelas

Now remarried, Teresa resides in a 7-bed, 7.5-bath house for $3.35 million just down the road from her old home with her new husband Louis Ruelas

New home: On October 7 Teresa and her now- husband  moved into their new shared home which boasts 7-bedrooms, 7.5-bathrooms which they purchased in January 2021 for $3.35 million; pictured  September 6

New home: On October 7 Teresa and her now- husband  moved into their new shared home which boasts 7-bedrooms, 7.5-bathrooms which they purchased in January 2021 for $3.35 million; pictured  September 6

Giudice, 51, made the comments on renowned celebrity podcast Behind the Velvet Rope, in an an episode due out tomorrow. The show is presided over by fellow reality TV personality Yontef

Giudice, 51, made the comments on renowned celebrity podcast Behind the Velvet Rope, in an an episode due out tomorrow. The show is presided over by fellow reality TV personality Yontef

U.S Attorney Paul J. Fishman said: ‘The Giudices together deceived financial institutions with patently false loan applications; were dishonest when they sought the protection of the bankruptcy court and hid assets and income from the trustee; and Giuseppe [Joe] Giudice cheated the government by failing to pay taxes on years of significant income.

‘When they pleaded guilty, both admitted swearing to statements they knew were lies. Prison is the appropriate penalty for these serious financial crimes.’

Despite getting hit with a lengthy sentence, Giudice told the podcast that he still doesn’t believe he did much wrong – and slammed the US for dumping him ‘like a dog’ in Italy.

He said: ‘I got thrown into a country that I knew nothing about. All right, basically, just dumped there like, like, like, I don’t know, like, I guess a dog, you know what I mean. Not even a dog gets dumped like that.

‘And, you know, thank God, Italy took me in and, and basically took care of me. You know, they actually treated me like a person, not like the US.

‘The US treats you like garbage. I mean, they treat their own citizens like garbage. You know what? I mean, it’s ridiculous the way they treat people there when you get involved in, you know, certain things like this.’

An audibly angry Giudice also complained that he would never have been charged with fraud in the Bahamas or Italy – and claimed murderers get treated better than fraudsters in the US.

The dad-of-three continued: ‘I mean, my charges don’t even exist here. You know, tax things don’t exist in The Bahamas.

‘Tax things don’t exist in, in Italy. You know what I mean, you know, you, you just don’t go to jail for that stuff. You know what I mean, you get a fine, you get whatever.

‘But, I mean, you don’t go to jail. You don’t break your you know, they don’t break families up in, you know, like they do over there.

‘I mean, they throw people behind bars there for years for that stuff. You know what I mean? And it’s ridiculous, you know what I mean? A fine, you know, a slap on a wrist, six months.

‘You know, anything you do as a first offense should be more than a fine, not 15-years, or whatever the hell they give by, you know, for certain things like this, which I’ve seen them all in there.

‘You know what I mean? Who had 20 years. Who had 30 years. For tax things? You know what I mean? I’m not talking about, you kill somebody.

Last week, he also made a surprise return to RHONJ ¿ calling Teresa during the reunion show to ask for her thoughts on plastic surgery.

Last week, he also made a surprise return to RHONJ – calling Teresa during the reunion show to ask for her thoughts on plastic surgery. 

Together again: Rachel Fuda, Margaret Josephs, Melissa, Teresa, Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania and Danielle Cabral met up for the Irish-themed reunion - the first of the 3-part series kicked with host Andy Cohen

Together again: Rachel Fuda, Margaret Josephs, Melissa, Teresa, Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania and Danielle Cabral met up for the Irish-themed reunion – the first of the 3-part series kicked with host Andy Cohen

‘Murderers get out before people like do tax frauds in the states. You know what I mean? First time, you should get a slap on a wrist, a fine. All right, take the money away, do whatever you gotta do.

‘But, you know, to break up a family and, you know, destroy their lives over one mistake. I don’t think it’s fair.’

Despite being furious over his jail sentence and deportation, Giudice says he hopes to overturn his deportation order and return to the US to be closer to his daughters: Gia, Milania and Gabriella.

Last week, he also made a surprise return to RHONJ – calling Teresa during the reunion show to ask for her thoughts on plastic surgery.

During the call, Giudice revealed he has already had a few girlfriends since relocating to the Bahamas – and insisted he has not watched ‘RHONJ’ a single time not even while he was in prison. 

After everyone said their goodbyes – and a well-timed joke from Giudice – reunion show host Andy Cohen hung up and remarked, ‘Wow, unexpected. Not so sure about that, but anyway… it was a moment.’

The full interview appears in an episode of Behind the Velvet Rope released tomorrow.

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