Todd and Julie Chrisley of American reality television was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion and bank fraud. Todd and Julie were sentenced to 12 and 7 years in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta on Monday, November 21. In addition, they each received a 16-month probationary period at the end of their sentences.
According to FOX5, the pair will begin their sentences on January 15, 2023. In June 2022, Todd and Julie were found guilty. According to federal prosecutors, the two were involved in a major bank fraud conspiracy and disguised their money from tax officials while living a lavish lifestyle.
Prosecutors stated, according to USA Today:
“The Chrisleys have created an empire under the illusion that their money was made through hard work and dedication. The unanimous belief confirms the facts: Todd and Julie Chrisley are professional con artists who have made a living jumping from one fraud scheme to the next, lying to banks, defrauding suppliers and evading taxes.
BREAKING: A federal judge has sentenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years in prison plus 16 months of probation. His wife, Julie, was sentenced to 7 years in prison plus 16 months of probation.
Why the hell isn’t Trump in jail?
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) November 22, 2022
Chrisley Knows Best is a reality TV show about “the exploits of Atlanta-based self-made billionaire Todd Chrisley and his family,” according to USA Network.
Todd and Julie Chrisley devised a full-fledged fraud scheme.
According to press sources, prosecutors stated at trial that the couple filed forged papers with banks and obtained more than $30 million in illegal loans. Todd and Julie filed for bankruptcy when they couldn’t pay back the banks. Prosecutors also said that when the couple was insolvent, they started their TV reality show and “show off their money and lifestyle to the American people.” They also disguised the show’s earnings, which reportedly ran into the millions, from the IRS.
Prosecutors also alleged that Todd and Julie persuaded their friends to lie under oath and provided the jury with false papers.
“The Chrisleys are remarkable in terms of the diverse and broad scope of their fraudulent activities, as well as the extent to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior over a long period of time.”
Todd’s lawyers claimed that the government’s loss calculation was incorrect and that authorities never produced any evidence that his client intended to defraud any of the institutions. They also argued that Todd’s crimes took place a long time ago and that he has no criminal history, therefore his prison sentence is “disproportionately harsh”. They argued in court that Todd should not be sentenced to more than nine years in prison.
Meanwhile, Julie’s lawyers argued in a court document that she had a small part in the fraud case and that the appropriate punishment for her would be probation with specific restrictions, rather than jail time. Todd and Julie have three children: Chase, Savannah, and Grayson. They are also the parents of a 10-year-old girl from the former’s previous marriage.
