'Jersey Shore' Star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has been sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of supervised release in his tax evasion case.

He must also complete 500 hours of community service and was given $123,913 in restitution, which he has already paid, plus a fine of $10,000 that must be paid within 30 days.

The 36-year-old Jersey Shore star appeared in New Jersey federal court on Friday alongside his fiancée Lauren Pesce. He seemed to be in good spirits as he awaited the judge’s ruling, with his family seated in the first row of the room. When he left the courthouse, he walked out hand-in-hand wth Pesce. As a reporter called out, “What do you say to your fans,” he silently threw up a peace sign with his fingers.

His costars joined him at the hearing as the MTV cameras rolled, though only Jenni “JWoww” Farley and Vinny Guadagnino sat inside the courtroom during the proceedings.

Sorrentino and his brother Marc were initially indicted in September 2014 for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the United States after allegedly failing to properly pay taxes on $8.9 million in income from 2010 to 2012. In April 2017, both men were indicted on additional charges including tax evasion, structuring and falsifying records.

In January, Sorrentino pled guilty to one count of tax evasion. His brother Marc pled guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return and was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday.

In pre-sentencing memos obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday, Sorrentino’s attorney argued he should receive probation, stating that the MTV star played a minor role in the alleged conspiracy and has worked diligently to overcome substance abuse in the time since his arrest.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, sought a prison sentence of 14 months, arguing that jail time would send the message that “tax fraud will be met with real punishment” and noting that Sorrentino’s substance addiction didn’t stop him from structuring cash deposits to avoid government scrutiny.

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Sorrentino’s sentencing comes one day after he celebrated 34 months of sobriety. As fans remember, he rose to fame as a hard-partying, self-proclaimed “guido” on the show — but by the time the original run wrapped in 2012, the New Jersey native was battling a prescription painkiller addiction.

Six years and two stints in rehab later, Sorrentino told PEOPLE earlier this year that he “worked so hard to turn my life around and be the best person I can be.”

“I did it, and good things came around,” he said. “I’ve done everything in my power to better myself. I really feel that I’m in the best situation possible.”

Of reemerging into the public eye to film this year’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation reboot (now in its second season), Sorrentino said it “took a lot of hard work just to get there.”

“I had a very strong foundation for my recovery with over two years [sober] when I entered the house,” he said. “But I did have to challenge myself to go out and film a whole season of Jersey Shore and have fun without alcohol — to show the youth out there that it is possible.”

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.