Julie Chrisley to be resentenced in fraud, tax evasion case

ATLANTA (AP):

Reality TV star Julie Chrisley’s sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion was thrown out on Friday by federal appeals judges, who ordered a lower court to redo her punishment over what the appellate panel called a “narrow issue”.

Julie Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, who earned fame for the show Chrisley Knows Best that chronicled the exploits of their tight-knit family, were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than US$30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings, while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle.

The couple’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, stood trial with them and was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and wilfully filing false tax returns.

A three-judge panel of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of the Chrisleys and Tarantino in a ruling that found a legal error only in how the trial judge calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. So the appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.

“We’re pleased that the court agreed that Julie’s sentence was improper, but we’re obviously disappointed that it rejected Todd’s appeal,” Alex Little, an attorney for the couple, said in an email message. He added that the Chrisley family was “hopeful for more good news in the future”.

Before the Chrisleys became reality television stars, they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans, prosecutors said during the trial. They accused the couple of spending lavishly on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel, and using new fraudulent loans to pay off old ones. Todd Chrisley then filed for bankruptcy, according to prosecutors, walking away from more than US$20 million in unpaid loans.

Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd Chrisley got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay US$17.8 million in restitution.

Todd Chrisley, 56, is at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, with a release date in September 2032, while Julie Chrisley, 51, is at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, and is due for release in July 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.