Real Housewives of Potomac star Wendy Osefo and husband Eddie Osefo suffered a legal setback on Friday in Maryland, over the release of “confidential” financial records in the couple’s fraud case.
Carroll County prosecutors argued during the Dec. 19 hearing that they need access to eight years of Wendy and Eddie’s financial details, including information on dozens of credit cards.
The defense countered the records are “private and confidential,” and said prosecutors want to go on a “fishing expedition” in an effort to “embarrass” the reality stars, according to courtroom reports from The Baltimore Banner and The Baltimore Sun.
Prosecutors said they need the information to prove Wendy and Eddie have “a pattern of excessive spending,” and allegedly committed fraud because they “have very little money.”
Related: Wendy Osefo Addresses ‘Unfortunate’ Arrest on Fraud Charges
Prosecutor Melissa Hockensmith told the judge the state needs access to the financial information because “the public has an interest in these crimes and to make sure justice is done in this case.”
The prosecution said in a previous filing that Wendy and Eddie together have “approximately 40 credit and/or debit cards.” Some of the cards are in the aliases “Pam Oliver” and “Eddie Hennessy,” in a “deliberate attempt to mask their identity,” prosecutors alleged.
On Friday, Hockensmith said investigators have since found more credit and debit cards, bringing the total to 67 cards located in four different designer wallets, including in a Chanel wallet that was reported stolen.
Wendy’s attorney Jeremy Eldridge addressed the aliases and countered that the TV stars only used other names when ordering packages. The attorney told the court the pseudonyms are “innocent and innocuous.”
Eldridge added that there is “no evidence that the Osefos are in financial distress.”
Following the arguments, Judge Richard R. Titus ruled in favor of the prosecution and granted the request for a subpoena of the couple’s financial information dating back eight years.
Wendy and Eddie were arrested at their home in Finksburg, Maryland on Oct. 9, and each booked on multiple charges in connection with over $400,000 in allegedly fraudulent insurance claims.
Wendy was charged with 16 counts, including insurance fraud and making a false statement to a police officer. Eddie faces a total of 18 counts.
Prosecutors alleged the two falsely reported thieves stole luxury items from their home while they vacationed in Jamaica, in an effort to allegedly defraud insurance companies.
The defense has previously said “police failed to properly investigate the initial burglary despite clear indications of a break-in, displaying clear bias against the Osefo family.”
The defense also claimed Wendy and Eddie, who are Nigerian-American, are being treated differently from other Housewives stars who’ve reported home burglaries while they were away.
In addition to appearing on RHOP, Wendy is a college professor with a Ph.D. in public affairs and community development from Rutgers University-Camden and prefers to be addressed as “Dr. Wendy.” Eddie is an attorney, and CEO and founder of the cannabis brand Happy Eddie.
They share three children and celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary this year.
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