Todd, Julie Chrisley sentenced to 19 total years in prison for fraud, tax evasion
The Chrisleys are going to prison.
Todd Chrisley was sentenced on Monday to 12 years in federal custody plus 16 months of probation in his and wife Julie Chrisley’s bank fraud and tax evasion case, the US Department of Justice announced in a press release.
Julie, meanwhile, was given a lighter sentence of seven years in prison and 16 months of probation.
“This sentencing serves notice that no matter a person’s celebrity status, there are severe consequences for defrauding the American tax system,” said James E. Dorsey, special agent in charge at the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta field office.
Neither the couple’s attorneys nor federal prosecutors immediately returned Page Six’s requests for comment.
Prior to the sentencing, prosecutors had recommended nearly 22 years behind bars for Todd, 53, and 12 years for Julie, 49, after the “Chrisley Knows Best” stars were found guilty of multiple charges in June.
“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum on Nov. 16.
“The jury’s unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”
Todd and Julie, who have maintained their innocence, fought back and sought less than the recommended time. His lawyers wanted a maximum of nine years in prison, and hers asked for probation with no jail time.
The reality TV stars had also filed a joint motion for a new trial on the grounds that a witness “lied” during their spring trial, which the court denied on Oct. 28.
Todd and Julie — who share sons Chase, 26, and Grayson, 16, and daughter Savannah, 25 — were indicted in August 2019 on charges that they submitted fake documents to banks to secure more than $30 million in loans. Julie was additionally accused of using fake statements to rent a home.
Todd was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax evasion. Julie, meanwhile, was found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice in addition to the same federal charges as her husband.
The Chrisleys’ sentencing came about a week after Grayson was hospitalized following a severe car accident in Nashville.
“Chrisley Knows Best,” which premiered on USA Network in 2014, followed the family’s crazy adventures with a focus on their lavish lifestyles. Todd admitted three months prior to his sentencing that he became a “slave” to money once the show succeeded.
“I got lost when I couldn’t tell the difference in my self-worth and my net worth,” he said in the July 29 episode of his podcast, “Chrisley Confessions.” “And the bigger my net worth became, the less I focused on my self-worth because everything was being built around that net worth. Around stuff.
“You become a slave to the things that you thought were going to bring you peace. So I got lost in that and for my whole life because I think I was too ignorant — and when I use the word ignorant [I mean] I [didn’t] know that I understood how to differentiate self-worth and net worth.”
