Reality tv stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced Monday in the federal bank fraud and tax evasion case.
An Atlanta federal judge sentenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years in prison plus 16 months probation, while his wife, Julie, received seven years in prison plus 16 months probation.
The “Chrisley Knows Best” couple was convicted in June of defrauding banks out of more than $30 million to fund their lavish lifestyles. Prosecutors say the Chrisleys used a film production company they controlled to hide money from the IRS to avoid paying taxes, WSB-TV reports.
While Todd and Julie maintain they did nothing wrong and someone else was in control of their finances, the pair were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud. Julie was also charged with wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Peter Tarantino, the couple’s accountant, was also sentenced Monday to 36 months in prison for his role in committing fraud on their behalf.
“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 wrote. “And when they learned that they were under investigation for those crimes, they involved their own family members and friends to obstruct justice.”
