Tanning Mom's Criminal Past Surfaces

INSIDE EDITION has learned the tanning mom who was thrust into the national spotlight has a criminal past. Meanwhile, she's got some harsh words for critics, including Jersey Shore's Snooki.

The tanorexic mom is having a tan-trum, and who is she mad at? Snooki from Jersey Shore.

You'll recall that Snooki had harsh words for Patricia Krentcil, saying, "That (blank) is crazy!"

Apparently, those words burned Krentcil even worse than her tanning session.

Krentcil said, "She's the biggest (blank) in the world. She's fake. She's fat. Her (blank) are fake. She's disgusting. When this is all said and done, I'd like to meet up with Snoopy."

Ah...her name is Snooki, Patricia.

Jay Leno hit the nail on the head, saying on The Tonight Show, "There are now people in New Jersey dumber than the cast of Jersey Shore. I didn't think that was possible."

This latest "tan-trum" adds to the dubious reknown for the woman burned brown. She's also lashed out at her critics during a shopping trip.

"There's somebody out there, for my whole life, that doesn't like me because they are jealous, they're fat and they're ugly," said Krentcil.

The 44-year-old charged with taking her six-year old daughter into a tanning booth, has pled not guilty, and insists she's a great mom, saying, "I'm a great mother and I would never do that to my child."

But the harsh glow of the national spotlight can sometimes burn. INSIDE EDITION has learned that she has a criminal past, including a DWI and an assault conviction for, get this, biting a cab driver.

Krentcil also filed for bankruptcy in 1999. And in 2000 she was convicted for theft and forgery. In total, there have been 22 civil judgments or liens filed against the tanorexic mom.

We asked dermatologist Dr. Doris Day if anything can be done to undo the damage to Krentcil's skin.

"Well the good news is, your skin cells are always turning over and regenerating. So, there's so much you can do just by stopping tanning alone," said Dr. Day. "Her skin will recover to some extent, but it will never fully recover. It's so much easier to prevent the damage than it is to try to fix it afterwards."

If nothing else, the tanorexic mom has turned the spotlight on an obsession that can be dangerous.