There is now even more drama surrounding Dance Moms' fearsome leader. Abby Lee Miller is facing bankruptcy fraud charges, United States Attorney David J. Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania said Wednesday. Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury on 20 counts of bankruptcy fraud, concealing assets, and making false bankruptcy declarations. The 50-year-old dance teacher and choreographer is facing up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count. Per her attorney Robert Ridge, "We haven't seen the indictment yet, so we'll have to take a look at it and respond accordingly." Bustle reached out to Miller's rep for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
A statement released by federal prosecutors claims Miller filed a Petition to Reorganize her dance studio in December 2010. The statement continues:
Miller then schemed to defraud the bankruptcy court by concealing income she earned between 2012 and 2013 from her performances on the reality TV show Dance Moms and related spinoff TV shows, as well as from Masterclass dance sessions and merchandise and apparel sales. The indictment alleges that Miller created bank accounts to hide the income, and instructed others to conceal certain income from the bankruptcy court and Trustee.
Allegedly, Miller concealed a total of approximately $755,492.85 from the Trustee and creditors, and "gained favorable terms to restructure debt from her fraudulent acts," the statement claims.
This isn't the first time Miller's faced legal troubles. The dance coach took former Dance Moms star Kelly Hyland to court for slapping her in November 2013. However, the Supreme Court had the charges against Hyland dropped in April 2015. Then, in February, Hyland filed a $5 million lawsuit against Miller and Collins Avenue Entertainment, Dance Moms' production company, which has yet to bet settled in court. However, in August 2014 a judge said there's a good chance he'll dismiss the case. In addition, Hyland's 13-year-old daughter, Paige, brought an emotional distress lawsuit against Miller, but that case was dropped in July.
