Reality TV star Julie Chrisley, known for her role in the show 'Chrisley Knows Best,' had her sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion thrown out by federal appeals judges on Friday. The judges ordered a lower court to reevaluate her punishment due to what they deemed a 'narrow issue.'
Julie Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks of over $30 million in fraudulent loans. The couple was also found guilty of tax evasion for concealing their earnings while living a lavish lifestyle.
The Chrisleys' accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of the Chrisleys and Tarantino but found a legal error in how Julie Chrisley's sentence was calculated. The appellate panel determined that she was wrongly held accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme and sent her case back to the lower court for re-sentencing.
Prosecutors alleged that before gaining fame on reality TV, the Chrisleys and a former business partner submitted false documents to Atlanta-area banks to secure fraudulent loans. They accused the couple of extravagant spending on luxury items and using new fraudulent loans to pay off old ones. Todd Chrisley subsequently filed for bankruptcy, leaving behind more than $20 million in unpaid loans.
Julie Chrisley was initially sentenced to seven years in federal prison, while Todd Chrisley received a 12-year sentence. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.
Defense attorneys for the Chrisleys argued unsuccessfully on appeal that there were inaccuracies in the trial testimony and insufficient evidence to support the convictions. Tarantino's lawyer contended that his client was unfairly tried alongside the Chrisleys.
The appeals panel identified the sentencing error as holding Julie Chrisley responsible for the entire bank fraud scheme from 2006, without specific evidence of her involvement in that year. They found evidence linking her to fraud from multiple years starting in 2007.
Julie Chrisley's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Todd Chrisley is currently serving his sentence at a federal prison camp in Florida, with a release date in September 2032, while Julie Chrisley is incarcerated in Kentucky and is scheduled for release in July 2028. Peter Tarantino is held in a federal prison camp in Alabama, with a release date in August of the following year.
