AceShowbiz - A lawyer for Anne Hathaway's conman ex-lover Raffaello Follieri has dismissed reports he will be released from U.S. prison this July and return to his native Italy to serve the remainder of his sentence. The "The Devil Wears Prada" star's former boyfriend was jailed for four-and-a-half years in December 2008 after pleading guilty to 14 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Hathaway dumped the Italian businessman in June the same year just before his arrest for the scam, which saw him take more than $3.6 million (2.4 million pound sterling) from investment funds and real estate firms.

Recent reports suggested Follieri, 31, would be released and returned to Europe as early as July. According to the New York Post, Follieri would be eligible for early release under the federal prisoner-transfer program that allows foreigners to serve out their sentences abroad.

However, his lawyer, Flora Edwards, insists there are "no ongoing negotiations" for an earlier date, and that he would not become eligible to be returned to Italy until May 2012. Edwards confirms, "There's always a hope that might happen. But there's nothing concrete that I can talk about."