The 'Chrisley Knows Best' stars have been found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion despite previously pleading not guilty to 12 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
- Jun 8, 2022
AceShowbiz - Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley are apparently going to spend years in prison. The "Chrisley Knows Best" stars are facing up to 30 years behind bars after they were found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion.
The reality stars received the guilty verdict on Tuesday, June 7, according to the Associated Press. The pair were found guilty on all 12 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Their former accountant Peter Tarantino was also found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns.
The couple faces up to 30 years behind bars, according to Insider. They will be sentenced at a later time. Following the guilty verdict, their lawyer Bruce Morris said in a statement that they are "disappointed in the verdict." The attorney further explained that "an appeal is planned."
The federal trial against Todd and Julie began on May 16 in Atlanta, where the couple lived for several years before moving to Nashville. The proceedings came after the Chrisleys were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2019 for 12 counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, all of which they denied.
Todd shared a message denying any wrongdoing. "We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of," he wrote on Instagram in August 2019, alongside a picture of his family. "Not only do we know we've done nothing wrong, but we've got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it."
Todd then blamed the legal drama on a former employee who was fired in 2012 after the Chrisleys learned the employee had been "stealing from us big time." He said the worker retaliated against the family by sending "phony documents" to the U.S. attorney's office and telling federal prosecutors that "we had committed all kinds of financial crimes."
However, federal prosecutors alleged Todd, his wife Julie and their former accountant Peter, submitted fake bank documents and lied about their wealth when applying for loans from 2007 to 2012.
Todd, Julie and Peter were each charged with five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud. Additionally, Julie was charged with one count of obstruction of justice and one count of wire fraud, while the accountant was also hit with two counts of willfully filing false tax returns.
