Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley was found guilty of offences including bank fraud and tax evasion earlier this year and received hefty prison sentences on Monday. According to news reports, Todd Chrisley received a sentence of 12 years in prison and 16 months of probation from U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta, while Julie Chrisley received a sentence of 7 years in jail and 16 months of probation.
The Chrisleys became well-known for their television programme “Chrisley Knows Best,” which features their close-knit, raucous family. According to federal prosecutors, the pair ran a significant bank fraud operation before concealing their income from tax officials and flaunting their opulent lifestyle.
Prosecutors claimed that the Chrisleys “had constructed an empire based on the deception that their money comes from commitment and hard work.” The jury’s unanimous decision clarifies the situation: Todd and Julie Chrisley are professional fraudsters who have made life by switching between fraud schemes, deceiving banks, taking advantage of vendors, and dodging taxes everywhere.
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In a court document, Todd Chrisley’s attorneys had claimed that he shouldn’t spend more time behind bars than nine years. According to Julie Chrisley’s attorneys, probation with specialised requirements and no jail time would be a fair punishment for her. In June, the Chrisleys were accused of conspiring to deceive the IRS, fraud, and tax evasion. Additionally found guilty of wire fraud and obstructing justice, Julie Chrisley.
According to prosecutors, the pair tricked banks into giving them loans totalling more than $30 million using false documentation. When Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy, they walked away from their obligation to return the loans after that strategy failed. They began their reality show while they were insolvent and “flaunted their wealth and lifestyle to the American public,” according to the prosecution, before hiding the millions they earned from the show from the IRS.
Prosecutors claimed that the Chrisleys also persuaded friends and family members to lie under oath during their trial and provided a phoney document to a grand jury looking into their crimes. Prosecutors claimed neither had expressed regret for their actions and instead placed the responsibility for their wrongdoing on others.
The extent to which the Chrisleys engaged in fraud and obstructive activity over an extended period and the variety and breadth of their fraudulent conduct makes them exceptional, according to the prosecution.
In a filing, Todd Chrisley’s attorneys claimed that the government never provided proof that he intended to mislead the banks and that the loss figure was inaccurate. They added that the crimes were long ago committed, he has no significant criminal history, and he suffers from physical issues that “would make imprisonment unduly harsh.”
Additionally, his attorneys provided letters from friends and coworkers that demonstrate “a history of good deeds and desire to serve others.” They contended that while Chrisley remains in prison, those who depend on him—including his mother and the others hired by his television programs—will suffer.
They requested that the judge impose a prison term below the range of the guidelines, followed by a period of supervised release and reparations. Julie Chrisley’s attorneys argued that she was not involved when the loans mentioned in the sentencing documents were obtained and that she had a small part in the conspiracy. Her attorneys requested a sentence of probation, restitution, and community service, noting that she has no prior convictions, contributes to her community, and has “exceptional family commitments.”
In addition to having full custody of Todd Chrisley’s son from a previous marriage, whose daughter is ten years old, the Chrisleys have three children, one of whom is 16. According to the paperwork, Julie Chrisley is the primary caretaker for her ill mother-in-law.
Additionally, her attorneys provided letters from character witnesses praising her for being “sturdy in character, hard-working, unfailingly unselfish, committed to her family and friends, and highly loved by everyone who knows her.”