After appearing in court on July 30, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice and her husband, Joe, are free on $500,000 bail each.
The couple is facing 39 different charges for allegedly committing legal missteps like conspiring to defraud lenders, illegally obtaining loans and shielding assets during their 2009 bankruptcy case.
During the hearing in Newark, N.J., it was also revealed that Joe Giudice, who is not a legal citizen of the United States, could be deported back to Italy if he is convicted.
The pair did not respond to the charges, but are expected to plea not guilty when they are arraigned on Aug. 14.
If convicted of some of the most serious charges, like fraud, the Giudices could face up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines.
The charges mostly stem from claims that the couple failed to report large portions of their income; lying to banks, the IRS and bankruptcy court about their $110,000 "Real Housewives" pay day and nearly $1 million of Joe's income between 2004 and 2008.
"When you file for bankruptcy, everything is public," New Jersey attorney Todd Unger, who is not involved in the case, told E! News. "If you have someone that owes back taxes and at some point they have filed bankruptcy, the government can go and just pull that bankruptcy record, just like you or I can, and they can start looking at inconsistencies. 'Well, wait a minute, what's this, what's that?'"
Unger also admitted that the Giudices are an easy target, given their celebrity status.
"These high-publicized cases serve as the best advertisement for the government and, in particular, the IRS," he noted. "The truth is, the government loves them. People know when celebrities get in trouble. And it creates this fear, especially with the IRS."
Teresa addressed the situation on Twitter, saying that she hopes to get it over with "as quickly as possible," and thanking fans for their prayers and support.
