A federal judge upheld reality TV star Julie Chrisley’s seven-year prison sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion on Wednesday after Chrisley requested a lesser sentence.
Julie Chrisley, 51, and her husband Todd Chrisley, 56, starred on the reality show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which showcased their close southern family dynamic and lavish lifestyle in Tennessee and Georgia. The hit USA Network series ran from 2014 to 2023.
In 2022, the two were found guilty of taking out over $30 million in fraudulent loans and tax evasion by hiding their earnings.
Julie Chrisley was handed a legal win in June when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the original judge had made a miscalculation during sentencing. The appellate court then sent the case back to the lower court for resentencing.
Alex Little, Julie Chrisley’s attorney, requested the sentence be adjusted to no more than five years. He portrayed her as a minor part of the criminal scheme and said her “scattered offenses” were “dramatic mistakes.” He also cited her good behavior and usage of enrichment opportunities in prison.
Julie Chrisley was resentenced to seven years in prison for tax fraud she committed alongside her husband Todd. Julie’s attorney and daughter spoke to reporters following the decision.
Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File and AP Photo/Kate Brumback
Federal prosecutor Annalise Peters refuted this claim, stating Julie Chrisley was a “core part” of the scheme and has not admitted any wrongdoing.
Peters said her good behavior in prison does not cancel out an “11-year journey of fraud after fraud after fraud.”
Little claimed Julie Chrisley’s children are struggling with “day-to-day functioning.”
The Chrisleys have three children together, 28-year-old Chase, 27-year-old Savannah and 18-year-old Grayson. Savannah and Chase attended the hearing.
The couple also had custody of their 10-year-old granddaughter Chloe, whose father is Todd Chrisley’s son from a previous marriage.
Savannah Chrisley received custody of Grayson, who was a minor at the time, and Chloe after her parents’ conviction.
Peters argued that the children’s suffering was “a natural consequence of this defendant’s criminal choices.”
Julie Chrisley appeared in court in a prison uniform, her formerly blond hair now brown.
“I apologize for my actions and what led me to where I am today,” Julie said.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross said Julie’s sentence was not based on the loss amount or the number of years she was involved, so her sentence would not change.
Ross said the situation “saddens” her, but she was “not the one who made the choices to put the children in that situation.”
The Chrisleys and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area, prosecutors claimed during their trial. They said the couple used the fraudulently obtained loans to pay for luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel. Todd then filed for bankruptcy.
Todd Chrisley is serving a 12-year sentence at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida. Julie Chrisley will continue serving the rest of her sentence at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
The couple was initially ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution, but Ross said the amount now stands at $4.7 million.
Savannah Chrisley has frequently advocated for her parents’ release on social media. She also spoke about their prison time at the Republican National Convention.
“My name is Savannah Chrisley, and you may have seen my family on TV, but for the past decade, we’ve been consumed with a different kind of drama,” she said during her speech. “My family was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile.”
She slammed the judge’s decision during a press conference following the hearing, calling it an “injustice.”
“I will continue to fight for my parents. And I will be as loud as I can possibly be because the judge clearly showed today that she was using my outspokenness to change a system that is so broken,” Savannah said.
She said her family plans to appeal the sentence.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
