"Jersey Shore" star Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino was released from prison Thursday after serving time for tax evasion.
Sorrentino, 37, was freed from federal prison in Otisville, New York, on Thursday morning and driven away in a black SUV.
"We are elated to finally close this chapter of our life. Thank you to our family, friends and fans for the continuous love and support during this time, it brought us so much peace and comfort," said a statement from a spokesperson for the reality TV personality.
Sorrentino was sentenced in October to eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty in January 2018 to one count of tax evasion. He and his brother were accused of filing falsified tax returns on nearly $9 million in income.
Sorrentino was also sentenced to two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine. He also paid $123,000 in restitution, federal prosecutors have said. He did not immediately start the prison term when he was sentenced but arranged for a surrender date with federal authorities.
His brother, Marc Sorrentino, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the fraud. He pleaded guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return.
Michael Sorrentino skyrocketed into fame in 2009 after being cast in MTV's reality series "Jersey Shore."
The show featured a group of young men and women living in a house in Seaside, New Jersey, while working at a local t-shirt printing business.
Among the allegations against Sorrentino was that he took steps to conceal his income from being fully taxed and that he made cash deposits of less than $10,000 into bank accounts in an attempt to hide those deposits from the IRS.
The entire cast of "Jersey Shore" went to Sorrentino's sentencing in a show of support. At his sentencing, Sorrentino told the judge that he was trying to overcome years of drug and alcohol abuse, The Associated Press reported.
CORRECTION (Sept. 11, 2019, 11:05 a.m. ET) A previous version of this article misstated the age of "Jersey Shore" star Mike Sorrentino. He is 37, not 38.
