Todd and Julie Chrisley Sentenced To Prison Following Tax Evasion Trial: Details

Todd and Julie Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best fame have been sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison respectively due to their involvement in a high-profile tax evasion case, In Touch can confirm. The decision was handed down by Judge Eleanor Ross of the Atlanta, Georgia federal court on Monday, November 21. In addition to their prison sentence, both Todd and Julie both received 16 months of probation. 

“Yesterday was a difficult day for the Chrisley family. But Todd and Julie are people of faith, and that faith gives them strength as they appeal their convictions,” the family’s attorney, Alex Little, told In Touch in a statement on Tuesday, November 22. “Their trial was marred by serious and repeated errors, including the government lying to jurors about what taxes the couple paid. Based on these issues, we are optimistic about the road ahead.”

Both Todd and Julie were charged with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, tax fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Julie was additionally charged with both obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Despite the severe charges, the Chrisley Knows Best stars remained committed to their self-described innocence, arguing that an outside entity had control over their financial decisions. Todd’s lawyers argued in court that the Chrisley patriarch should not serve more than nine years behind bars, while Julie’s legal team asserted that she be given no prison time and rather serve probation. 

The prison sentence comes five months after Todd and Julie were found guilty by an unanimous jury on charges of tax evasion and criminal bank fraud. Prosecutors in the case argued that the Georgia natives – who are parents to Savannah Chrisley, Chase Chrisley, Lindsie Chrisley, Grayson Chrisley and Kyle Chrisley – were the recipients of $30 million in fraudulent bank loans, using a self-managed production company to evade the IRS. 

“The seriousness of the Chrisleys’ crimes cannot be understated. After they defrauded community banks out of tens of millions of dollars, they hid millions of dollars from the IRS, all while going on television to boast about how much they spend on designer clothes,” prosecutors alleged of the hit USA Network stars. “And when they learned that they were under investigation for those crimes, they involved their own family members and friends to obstruct justice.”

Of the guilty verdict, prosecutors further wrote, “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.”

The day prior to the couple’s sentencing, their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was sentenced to three years behind bars. He was found guilty after filing two corporate tax returns on Todd and Julie’s part that turned out to be fraudulent, and will start his sentence in May 2023 after he recovers from recent hip surgery.