Apollo Nida, the The Real Housewives of Atlanta star, has been sentenced to eight years in prison followed by five years parole after pleading guilty to fraud.

Apollo Nida Sentenced For Fraud

Nida, who appears on the Bravo reality program RHOA with his wife Phaedra Parks, was sentenced for charges of mail, wire and bank fraud on Saturday. Nida, 35, could have faced a maximum of 30 years for allegedly cashing stolen checks and laundering money through fake bank accounts, but was granted leniency for cooperating with the federal investigation. A hearing to determine restitution will be held on July 17.

“On behalf of my client Apollo, right now he feels remorse. He thought the judge was fair and accepts his sentence, although he was hoping it would be less,” Thomas B. Bever, Apollo’s lawyer, told People after the sentencing.

This is not Nida’s first time in prison: from 2004 to 2009, Nida served time for auto title fraud. Bever went on to say that Nida is releaved to have the trial behind him, saying, “Apollo is elated that this proceeding is past him and is no longer hanging over his head. It meant everything to him that his mother and brother spoke on his behalf. He’s OK, and will get through this.”

U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Reginald Moore told reporters that they see Nida’s sentence as proof of “impartial justice regardless of economic class or perceived celebrity status.”

The U.S. Secret Service arrested Nida in January following a yearlong investigation. It was revealed that Nida had created fake collection companies to gain personal information, which he then used to commit identity theft.

“Nida’s sentence should be an eye-opener for other like-minded criminals who scheme to steal victims’ identities, defraud them and ignore the consequences of their actions,” Moore continued.

Phaedra Parks Remains Silent

Nida has two sons with Parks, both under the age of 6, and Parks is reportedly very concerned about how Nida’s prison sentence will affect their children.

“Phaedra saw this coming and she and Apollo have known for a long time now that he’d be sentenced. It’s not a surprise to her. The only thing she’s worried about is Ayden and Dylan growing up without their dad,” said a source.

Parks has not released a statement on her husband’s sentencing, but in May, Nida suggested that Parks was not standing by his side throughout the trail.

“I think Phaedra, in a perfect world, should be supportive as a wife should be… But if she chooses to derail from the plan, then that’s what she chooses to do… Whatever’s been thrown at me, I deal with it. I would like to say I would want her to stay around and do what a wife should do. But tomorrow’s not promised,” he said in a radio interview.

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