'The Situation,' of Jersey Shore fame, charged with tax fraud

A former star of the MTV reality show "Jersey Shore" and his brother have pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and his brother Marc were charged in a seven-count indictment released Wednesday by the U.S. attorney's office.

They're alleged to have failed to pay required taxes on nearly $9 million earned between 2010 and 2012, mainly through two businesses they owned between. The counts range from conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, to false filing and failure to file.

The brothers appeared in court Wednesday in Newark and are each free on $250,000 bail. They're next scheduled for an arraignment on Oct. 6.

When asked after the brief hearing if he was innocent, Mike Sorrentino replied, "Of course."