Julie Chrisley’s 7-Year Prison Sentence OVERTUNED … She’ll Be Home Soon!

Julie Chrisley’s 7-Year Prison Sentence OVERTUNED … She’ll Be Home Soon!

Julie Chrisley’s sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion was overturned on June 21 by a panel of federal appeals judges. The appellate panel ordered a lower court to revisit her punishment, citing a “narrow issue” in the original sentencing.

Julie Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, gained fame from the show Chrisley Knows Best, which showcased their extravagant lifestyle and close-knit family. The couple was convicted in 2022 for conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Additionally, they were found guilty of tax evasion, hiding their earnings while flaunting their wealth on television.

Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns.

A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of the Chrisleys and Tarantino. However, they identified a legal error in how the trial judge calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence, holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. As a result, the appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for re-sentencing.

“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. He added that the Chrisley family was “hopeful for more good news in the future.”

The Chrisleys, along with a former business partner, submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans, prosecutors revealed 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. Prosecutors further alleged that Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy to escape more than $20 million in unpaid loans.

Julie Chrisley was initially sentenced to seven years in federal prison, while Todd Chrisley received 12 years. Both were also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.

Their defense attorneys argued on appeal that an IRS officer lied during the trial, testifying that the couple still owed taxes, and that prosecutors knowingly failed to correct this false testimony. They also claimed that prosecutors did not present enough evidence to convict the Chrisleys of tax evasion and conspiracy or to prove that Julie Chrisley participated in bank fraud.

Tarantino’s lawyer contended that the accountant suffered harm by being tried alongside the Chrisleys. However, his request for a new trial was denied.

The appellate judges found only one error in the case. They ruled that the trial judge, at sentencing, held Julie Chrisley responsible for the entire bank fraud scheme starting in 2006. The panel noted that neither prosecutors nor the trial judge provided “any specific evidence showing she was involved in 2006.”

The panel did find sufficient evidence tying Julie Chrisley to fraud from multiple years starting in 2007.

“We must vacate Julie’s sentence so the district court can address the narrow issue of what the proper loss amount attributable to Julie is,” the appeals panel wrote, so her sentence can be recalculated.

Todd Chrisley, 56, is currently at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, with a release date set for September 2032. 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.

Peter Tarantino, 61, is held at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama, with a release date in August of next year.

The case continues to draw attention as the Chrisleys, once the epitome of Southern charm and financial success, face the consequences of their legal battles. The upcoming re-sentencing will likely shed more light on Julie Chrisley’s involvement and potentially adjust her time behind bars.

 

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