Saturday July 19, 03:22 PM

Hathaway's ex set to make plea deal

By Splash Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend Raffaello Follieri is said to be on the verge of making a plea deal following his arrest on money laundering and wire fraud charges.

The accused con artist - who is in jail on $21 million USD bail - has spoken with prosecutors, the New York Post reports.

"Follieri is in plea discussions," assistant US attorney Jennifer Burns said.

Follieri is also accused of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars of investor money to fund a lavish lifestyle, which included a Manhattan apartment with rent of approximately $37,000 USD-a-month.

If convicted, the 29-year-old could face 20 years in prison.

But his lawyer played down claims he had settled a deal to reduce a possible sentence.

In response to Burns' comments, Flora Edwards said: "I'm certainly not saying that, and I'm not sure it's appropriate.

"As far as I'm concerned, we're looking forward to our day in court."

Follieri was arrested on June 24. The Italian allegedly spent large amounts of money on vacations, clothes and gifts for his longtime girlfriend, "Get Smart" actress Hathaway.

She dumped the businessman shortly before his arrest.