The Real Housewives of Potomac star Wendy Osefo and her husband, Eddie Osefo, were charged with various counts of fraud stemming from an incident they claimed took place at their home in April 2024. The couple was set to appear on the first episode of Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition, but that episode has now been scrapped amid their legal troubles.
Instead, the Wife Swap spinoff will premiere on October 21 with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Angie Katsanevas.
The Osefos were booked on Thursday, October 9, in Carroll County, Maryland, according to TMZ. Wendy’s 16 charges are: seven counts of insurance fraud, eight counts of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and one count of false statement to a police officer. Meanwhile, Eddie has been indicted on 18 total counts.
Variety obtained court documents that lay out the charges. The Osefos are accused of falsely reporting a burglary at their home in April 2024. The couple was in Jamaica at the time of the alleged burglary and ended up submitting three insurance claims that estimated $450,000 worth of goods had been taken from their home.
However, investigators later “determined that numerous items that the Osefos claimed were stolen had been purchased then returned to the store where a full refund was provided prior to the alleged burglary,” according to the docs. Officials also noted that Wendy was seen wearing a ring she claimed was stolen in the ransacking in a social media post shared after the alleged incident.
“Dr. Wendy Osefo and her husband, Edward Osefo, are back home safely with their family and in good spirits,” a lawyer for the Bravo star said in a statement. “They are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from friends, fans, and colleagues. The Osefos, alongside their legal team, look forward to their day in court. At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”
The Osefos are due in court on November 7. The majority of their felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, per Variety.