Lawyer for reality television star The Situation withdraws from federal tax fraud case

A lawyer representing former "Jersey Shore" reality TV show star Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino has withdrawn from a federal tax fraud case against him.

A judge in Newark on Friday gave The Situation until mid-October to get a new attorney and declined to give him a court-appointed attorney.

The Situation and his brother Marc Sorrentino were charged last year with filing bogus tax returns on nearly $9 million and claiming millions of dollars in personal expenses were business expenses. They've pleaded not guilty.

Marc Sorrentino has a court-appointed attorney. But the U.S. attorney's office is questioning his eligibility. It says Sorrentino is working as a real estate agent in New York with 134 rental listings there.

Sorrentino's lawyer says his client has made one sale and earned $379 in commission.