Anne Hathaway's Ex Gets Four and a Half Years For Fraud

Raffaello Follieri, the 30-year-old Italian who pleaded guilty to cheating investors by claiming he had Vatican connections that enabled him to buy Catholic Church property for a song, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison today. Speaking through an interpreter, Follieri—who had been seriously involved with actress Anne Hathaway until this most recent scandal—pleaded for leniency, telling the judge, "I have dishonored my family name. I have embarrassed the church I love. I can never wash away that stain, and I will have to live with what I have done." But the judge was unmoved by the apology and imposed the 54-month sentence requested by prosecutors. Hathaway has said she felt like "a rug was pulled out from under me" when Follieri was arrested, but his friends believe she cooperated with the feds to lure him back to New York from Europe for his arrest.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on October 23, 2008 6:12 PM

Comments [rss]

Rob T Firefly

I'm suddenly beginning to regret telling Anne Hathaway about all that crack I sold to schoolchildren.

ides_of_march

I thought it was odd when I saw the Sistine Chapel listed in the real estate classifieds.

Steven

Good. Now if only more people like him were sent to prison.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

yep, she ratted him out. She enjoyed the fruits of his theft but bail out when the feds were near.

megs

If he's so into anal, seems like regular prison would be, um, right up his alley.

jaycjay

"he doesn't seem the like type to do well in a regular prison.

In fact I heard a radio report on WCBS this morning that said that's what his lawyer said in asking for leniency. He's used to living in a Trump Tower apartment, after all, so his time locked up awaiting trial has been more harsh on him than it would be on other people, after all.

The same report also mentioned that the defense presented a number of written statements and other documents attesting to his character, and among them was a picture he's likely used before to make persuasive arguments: him, with the pope.