Why Are The Chrisleys Going to Prison?
Todd and Julie Chrisley have been in the limelight for a long time, especially since their reality TV show “Chrisleys know best”. They were even labeled as the “next Kardashians” by their fans and the media. But suddenly, to their dismay, their life took an unexpected and horrific turn when the couple was charged and indicted in a case. And before they knew it, their screen time was swapped for prison time. If you’ve recently heard the news, you might be wondering, “Why are the Chrisleys going to prison?” or “Are they still behind bars?” or “When will they get out?”. Well, you’re at the right place because we’ll be able to answer all of your questions and address all your queries. All you have to do is stay with us till the end of the article!
The Chrisleys’ Indictment
Now that we have discussed the basic details of who the Chrisleys are, you might be ready to know the answer to “Why are the Chrisleys going to prison?”
What were They Charged With?
Originally, the case that resulted in Todd and Julie’s conviction and indictment started on the 17th of May 2022, in which the couple was charged with tax evasion and fraud. But this wasn’t the first time they had a lawsuit thrown at them. Their criminal history debuted in 2019.
On the 12th of August 2019, both Todd and Julie were ordered to appear in court on multiple accounts of tax evasion, bank fraud, conspiracy, and wired fraud. The couple’s accountant and tax manager, Peter Quarantino, was also charged with filing false tax information on behalf of the Chrisleys. 2 days later, the couple entered a plea of not guilty in the Atlanta court, where their 100,000 dollars unsecured bond was granted. The court ordered them to turn in their passports along with restricting their travel to the districts of North Georgia and Middle Tennessee. They would have to inform their probation officers with notice if they had to travel to California for their reality TV show “Chrisleys Know Best”.
2 months later, in October 2019, the couple was cleared of their tax evasion charge, with the Georgia Department of Revenue exonerating them of the 2 million dollars worth of tax claims that they originally owed between the years 2008 and 2016. According to the investigation and court findings, the couple had paid their taxes for the years 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and had overpaid their taxes for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and deserved a refund. They only owed taxes for 2009, but that had been paid by the family as well. Read Why are The Chrisleys Going to Prison?
Well, that still doesn’t get you down to why are the Chrisleys going to prison, then. Chrisleys don’t know best.
Although they were cleared of the charges, they were later indicted with federal charges of federal tax evasion and fraud. According to the prosecutors, the Chrisleys exaggerated their earnings so that they could get as much as 30 million dollars from banks as loans. The loan money was only used for lavish purposes and for buying “luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and travel,” according to the prosecutors. Some of it was also used to pay back some of their earlier loans. Later, when they were asked to repay the loan, they declared bankruptcy to avoid the repayment of the remaining 20 million dollars, which the couple “walked away” with. The assistant attorney Annalise Peters even said, “They made up documents, and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it.” The couple hid their money from the IRS just so they could burn through the loan money and continue to live their lavish lifestyle, according to Peters.
All of these wrongdoings were brought to light by Todd and Julie’s ex-business partner and Todd’s former lover, Mark Braddock. According to Braddock, he was also involved in the couple’s scheme but later realized his wrongdoings and came to the right side. He was offered immunity in exchange for his testimony.
After analyzing all the evidence during the 3 weeks of trial, the judge concluded, on 3rd June 2022, that Todd Chrisley was found guilty of tax fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the US. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of these counts, in addition to wire fraud. Their accountant, Tarantino, was also charged with filing fraudulent tax returns.
After the indictment, both Todd and Julie were under house arrest and electronic monitoring until their sentencing. The sentence, which would’ve officially announced “Why are the Chrisleys going to prison, and when”, was originally scheduled for the 6th of October, 2022.
What was Todd and Julie’s Take on This?
Both Todd and Julie became huge public figures and had an immense fan following, especially after their show “Chrisleys Know Best” became a big hit. They were quite vocal on social media as well and continued to do so once the charges and cases started.
When they were first charged in 2019, Todd put up an Instagram post as soon as the knowledge of the case was known to the public. In his post, he very openly defended himself and his wife and put the entire blame on a sour employee. According to Todd, the employee, who remained unnamed throughout, was stealing from them “big time”, and even went to the lengths of creating phony documents, forging their signatures, bugging their phones, and threatening other employees with violence if any of them rats out on him. Afterward, Todd even said that “there is nothing to hide” on their part, and they are completely innocent. He also showed his utmost faith and belief in God. It proved to be a great move and got most of the public masses back in the Chrisleys’ corner after they were proven innocent and exonerated later that year.
When the Chrisleys’ were brought to court again in 2022 following the federal charges, their legal team used the same strategy to counter the evidence. According to their attorney, it was the same employee mentioned above who was responsible for all the fraud and it was him, and not the couple, who exaggerated the Chrisleys’ income and asked for loans from banks.
But when Mark Braddock was brought to the stand and asked to testify, the Chrisleys’ lies fell apart, and the couple’s lawyer, Bruce Morris, blamed Braddock for all the fraud. According to Morris, it was Braddock himself who forged Todd’s signatures and sent the emails, which proved fraud. But the evidence was enough for the judge to reach the verdict that Todd and Julie were guilty, with Todd being the actual mastermind behind it all, and so “are the Chrisleys going to prison” held after all. Read Why are Young Thug and Gunna Still in Jail?
Two months after being convicted, the Chrisleys claimed that the initial trial was unjust and “fundamentally unfair” and filed for a retrial and acquittal. They also tried to expose the IRS Revenue officer who, according to the couple, was lying during her testimony “when she knew no taxes were due.” Moreover, Todd and Julie’s legal team also argued that the substantial evidence admitted in the trial was obtained by violating the Fourth Amendment, with Georgia’s Department of Revenue unlawfully seizing the financial documents.
After these claims were found to be baseless and without much evidence, the court decided to reschedule the sentencing date back to the 21st of November, 2022.
On the day of sentencing, the Chrisleys went for an emotional plea to reduce Julie’s sentence because she was the caretaker of the kids, who were very young and needed her both physically and emotionally. Although the judge showed empathy and claimed that she had no reason to believe the Chrisleys do not have good hearts, they were to be punished for the crimes they had committed. She also said that “It is heartbreaking, but it has to be burdened by the defendants,” and that she “cannot ignore the greed and flamboyance in this case.”
As a result, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison with 16 months probation, while Julie Chrisley was sentenced to 7 years in prison with 16 months probation. Their lawyer, Tarantino, was also sentenced to 3 years in prison.
What is Their Current Situation?
Todd and Julie were sent to prison on the 17th of January, with the former spending his prison time in the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida, while the latter is serving her time in Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, although she was originally to carry out her sentence in Federal Correctional Institution Marianna.
According to the interviews with Savannah Chrisley, Todd is in relatively good shape, with the TV star also getting closer to God. Julie, on the other hand, has been struggling. Savannah herself is also finding it difficult to deal with the imprisonment of her parents.
According to other members of the Chrisley family, they are having a pretty bad time adjusting to life without Todd and Julie and have been affected quite significantly by the calamity.
Conclusion:
We hope that we have cleared all your queries related to the Chrisleys’ case of tax evasion and fraud, and now you can easily answer “Why are the Chrisleys (and even their accountant) going to prison?” or “For how long will the Chrisleys stay in prison?”
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