Todd and Julie Chrisley of American reality television have allegedly begun their combined 19-year jail sentence. Todd, 53, went to The Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, on Tuesday, January 17, where he will begin a 12-year sentence. Julie, 50, on the other hand, arrived at the Federal Medical Center Lexington, Kentucky, where she will serve her seven-year sentence. According to Entertainment Tonight, her first destination was intended to be Florida, but that changed on December 20, 2022, from the Sunshine State’s Correctional Institution Marianna to the current penitentiary.
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Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion.
Todd and Julie were found guilty in June 2022 after federal prosecutors said they were part of a large bank fraud plot and concealed their income from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle. During their trial, prosecutors claimed that the pair used forged papers to obtain nearly $30 million in illegal loans from banks. However, when they were unable to repay, they claimed bankruptcy.
According to USA Today, the prosecutors stated:
“The Chrisleys have created an empire on the illusion that their money was earned through hard work and commitment. The unanimous conviction establishes the truth: Todd and Julie are professional swindlers who have built a life by hopping from one fraud scheme to the next, lying to banks, stiffing suppliers, and dodging taxes at every turn.”
In addition to the two, their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was convicted. According to the Department of Justice, he was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and two counts of wilfully submitting false tax returns.
Todd and Julie began their reality television program and “flaunted their money and lifestyle to the American public” while being insolvent, according to prosecutors. They also kept the show’s millions of dollars from the IRS. Prosecutors also alleged that Todd and Julie encouraged their friends to lie under oath and gave the jury incorrect documents.
“The Chrisleys are remarkable in terms of the diverse and broad breadth of their fraudulent activity, as well as the degree to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior over a lengthy period of time.”
Julie’s attorneys contended in a court document after the trial that she had only a minor part in the tax fraud case, and that instead of prison time, probation with specific restrictions would be a suitable penalty. The pair maintains their innocence and is fighting their convictions in court. Chrisley Knows Best, a 2014 reality television program on the USA Network, catapulted the Chrisleys to popularity. They were on the program with their three children, Chase, Savannah, and Grayson.
