'Jersey Shore' 's Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Will Begin Prison Sentence in 2019

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this month

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino just received an early Christmas present.

The Jersey Shore star, who was sentenced to time behind bars earlier this month, won’t begin his upcoming prison sentence until 2019, PEOPLE confirms.

He must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons beginning Jan. 15, 2019, according to documents filed Monday and obtained by TMZ.

But before he serves his time, Sorrentino will be tie the knot with fiancée Lauren Pesce; he announced Oct. 12 that he and Pesce will marry on Nov. 1.

Earlier this month, Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of supervised release in his tax evasion case. He must also complete 500 hours of community service and was given $123,913 in restitution, which he has already paid, plus a fine of $10,000 that must be paid within 30 days.

The 36-year-old reality star appeared in New Jersey federal court alongside Pesce. He seemed to be in good spirits as he awaited the judge’s ruling, with his family seated in the first row of the room. When he left the courthouse, he walked out hand-in-hand with Pesce. As a reporter called out, “What do you say to your fans,” he silently threw up a peace sign with his fingers.

His costars joined him at the hearing as the MTV cameras rolled, though only Jenni “JWoww” Farley and Vinny Guadagnino sat inside the courtroom during the proceedings.

Sorrentino and his brother Marc were initially indicted in September 2014 for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the United States after allegedly failing to properly pay taxes on $8.9 million in income from 2010 to 2012. In April 2017, both men were indicted on additional charges including tax evasion, structuring and falsifying records.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Lauren Pesce’s wedding shower. Courtesy Mike Sorrentino

In January, Sorrentino pled guilty to one count of tax evasion. His brother Marc pled guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Sorrentino’s sentencing came one day after he celebrated 34 months of sobriety. As fans remember, he rose to fame as a hard-partying, self-proclaimed “guido” on the show — but by the time the original run wrapped in 2012, the New Jersey native was battling a prescription painkiller addiction.

Six years and two stints in rehab later, Sorrentino told PEOPLE earlier this year that he “worked so hard to turn my life around and be the best person I can be.”

“I did it, and good things came around,” he said. “I’ve done everything in my power to better myself. I really feel that I’m in the best situation possible.”