Reality TV Star Karen Huger Sentenced to Jail for DUI Crash

Reality TV personality Karen Huger, known for her role in "Real Housewives of Potomac," has been handed a one-year jail sentence following a drunk-driving incident that occurred in March 2024. The Baltimore Banner reported the court's decision on Wednesday.

Huger, aged 61, was convicted in December on seven charges stemming from the DUI crash in Montgomery County. While she was cleared of reckless driving, she was found guilty of negligent driving, failure to control speed to avoid a collision, and other offenses as per court records.

This isn't the first time Huger has faced legal issues related to traffic violations. Records indicate that she has been involved in three previous traffic cases between 2006 and 2011.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence J. McGann expressed concerns about Huger's repeated drunk driving incidents, stating, "The defendant's four drunk driving offenses have spanned a 17-year period. Can we believe that she's only driven while intoxicated four times in the last 17 years, or is it more likely that she's been very lucky and her inebriation has gone undetected?"

As part of her sentence, Huger has been ordered to pay over $2,000 in fines and is prohibited from driving for a year post her release from jail.

Video footage from the police station at the time of Huger's arrest captured her refusing to take a breathalyzer test and admitting, "Oh God, I'm lit," as reported by the Baltimore Banner.

During her sentencing, Huger acknowledged her wrongdoing, stating, "The body cameras definitely prove that they were right and I was wrong. I should've handled the situation differently."

Her defense attorney mentioned that Huger is "at peace" with the court's decision. She has a 30-day window to file an appeal.

Interestingly, Huger is not the only "Real Housewives" star to encounter legal troubles in Maryland. In a separate incident, former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast member and entrepreneur Peter Thomas was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to settle over $2.5 million in employment taxes.

Thomas, who owned multiple bars in Baltimore and Miami, including Bar One Baltimore, allegedly diverted funds meant for employment taxes between 2017 and 2023. Instead, he used the money for personal cash withdrawals, real estate and travel expenses amounting to $370,000, and luxury retail purchases exceeding $250,000.

Known for his appearances on Bravo's reality show alongside his ex-wife Cynthia Bailey, Thomas was acquitted in 2023 of assaulting a customer at his Harbor East restaurant, as per the Baltimore Banner.