Todd And Julie Chrisley Were Sentenced For Fraud And Tax Evasion

Julie and Todd Chrisley, who are known for being on reality TV shows, were sent to prison Monday by a federal judge.

As reported before, the “Chrisley Knows Best” couple was found guilty in June of a plot to get more than $30 million in fraudulent loans from banks. They were also found guilty of a number of tax crimes, such as trying to cheat the Internal Revenue Service.

Todd Chrisley was given a 12-year prison sentence with three years of supervised release by Judge Eleanor L. Ross. His wife, Julie Chrisley, was given a seven-year prison sentence and a three-year probationary period.

Ryan Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said at a press conference after the sentencing hearing that their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was given a sentence of three years in prison and three years of supervised release.

The evidence in the case, according to the Department of Justice, showed that the Chrisleys got the loans by sending in fake bank statements, audit reports, and financial statements. A Doj press release said that the money was used to buy luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and trips.

Then, while they were making millions of dollars from their former reality show, the Chrisleys and their accountant worked together to trick the IRS and avoid paying back taxes.

The first episode of “Chrisley Knows Best” aired on the USA Network in 2014. Sometime next year, new episodes that were shot before the trial will air.

In a statement sent to current online late Tuesday, the family’s lawyer, Alex Little of Burr & Forman Lp, said, in part, that “yesterday was a hard day for the Chrisley family.” But Todd and Julie are religious people, and their faith gives them strength as they try to get their convictions overturned.

The statement also said that “serious and repeated mistakes” happened during the trial and that “we are optimistic about the road ahead.”

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