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Reality star Julie Chrisley tried to dodge her prison sentence for tax fraud by saying it had left her ten-year-old daughter suicidal.
During her hearing Monday, Julie lamented that her adopted daughter Chloe said she ‘doesn’t want to live if [her] mom goes away,’ and pled for leniency in her sentencing.
Chrisley, 49, and her husband Todd, 53, were sentenced to seven and 12 years in prison respectively – months after they were found guilty in their $30million tax fraud case.
Todd also pleaded with the judge to go easy on his wife, arguing that she was the primary caregiver of their two youngest children and they would be bereft without her.
US District Judge Eleanor Ross was unmoved by the couples’ emotional pleas, however, and handed down their sentences saying the ‘greed and flamboyance’ in their case could not be ignored.
Judge Ross said Todd should serve out his sentence at FCI Pensacola, and Julie at FCI Tallahassee – the same prison where Ghislaine Maxwell is serving out her sentence for her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.
NBC Universal has not made any comment on the fate of the couple’s reality shows – ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ and ‘Growing Up Chrisley’ – but according to Deadline the two reality shows have been cancelled.
During her hearing Monday, Julie lamented that her adopted daughter Chloe (right) said she ‘doesn’t want to live if [her] mom goes away,’ and plead for leniency in her sentencing
Julie Chrisley, 49, and her husband Todd, 53, were sentenced to seven and 12 years in prison respectively – months after they were found guilty in their $30million tax fraud case.
Julie Chrisley will serve her prison sentence at FCI Tallahassee, the same prison where Ghislaine Maxwell is serving out her sentence
FCI Pensacola, where Todd Chrisley is likely to serve out his prison sentence for tax fraud
Both Chrisleys teared up during their leniency pleas Monday, with Todd asking for a reduced sentence for his wife for the benefit of Chloe, and their 16-year-old son Grayson.
Todd said that his wife Julie should not be punished to the same degree as him.
Julie took the same tact, saying the sentence had effected the wellbeing of Chloe.
‘To hear your 10-year-old say she doesn’t want to live if their mom goes away, no child should feel that way,’ Julie said.
Chloe is Julie and Todd’s granddaughter, but the couple took full custody of her several years ago after their son Kyle and Chloe’s mother couldn’t look after her.
Judge Ross said she felt for the parents, but that being separated from one’s children was common in prison-sentencing and not grounds for leniency.
‘It is heartbreaking, but it has to be burdened by the defendants,’ she said.
‘I’ve never heard any acceptance of any crime. I’ve never really heard any admission to any wrongdoing or any remorse,’ Ross said.
‘I have no reason to doubt that both Chrisleys have good hearts. But, I cannot ignore the greed and flamboyance in this case.’
The Chrisleys in 2014, from the left: Chase, Grayson, Julie, Todd, Chloe, Savannah, Faye
Ghislaine Maxwell is serving out her prison sentence at FCI Tallahassee, the same prison Julie Chrisley is likely to be sent to
Inside FCI Tallahassee, where Julie Chrisley is likely to serve out her seven year prison sentence
The couple was sentenced in Atlanta on Monday to a combined total of 19 years in jail.
Todd and Julie will also serve 16 months of probation each upon their release.
The news comes five months after the Chrisleys were found guilty on criminal bank fraud and tax evasion charges, as prosecutors said they took out $30 million in fraudulent bank loans.
Prosecutors said the couple used the money to fund their lifestyle, even before they had become reality stars. Todd and Julia also used a production company to hide income from the IRS, lawyers argued.
During the dramatic trial earlier this year, a shocking testimony given by Chrisley’s former employee-turned-lover Mark Braddock revealed that he had a year-long gay affair with the reality star in the early 2000s – while they were both married to their respective wives.
Braddock sensationally turned against his ex-lover and business partner on the stand, when he told the jury that he had not only been witness to the Chrisleys’ crimes, but had helped to commit them.
His testimony also saw him confessing not only to his role in the Chrisleys’ years-long fraud, but to his infidelity, which he is said to have kept hidden from his wife for years before revealing it all to the world on the stand. Braddock was granted immunity in return for testifying.
Todd and Julie were found guilty on federal charges in June and have been sentenced to 12 years and seven years in prison, respectively
Two of Todd and Julie’s children, Chase Chrisley (left) and Savannah Chrisley (right), were spotted outside the courthouse where their parents were sentenced late Monday evening
On his USA series Chrisley Knows Best, Chrisley has documented his life as a dedicated father to his and Julie’s five children Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16
Before Monday’s sentencing, officials had stated that Todd was facing up to 22 years while Julie could have served up to 13.
They had also both been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Julie was also charged with wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Throughout their legal troubles, the Chrisleys maintained they had done nothing wrong.
They claimed that someone else had been in charge of their finances, and therefore responsible for any and all crimes committed.
They have been married 26 years and share five children in addition to Grayson and Chloe: Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24.
Chase and Savannah were spotted leaving the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday evening after their parents’ sentencing.
The couple were snapped emerging from their Brentwood, Tennessee mansion Friday in their black Cadillac Escalade
The family is best known for their reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which started in 2014 and is currently still on. Pictured: (l-r) Faye Chrisley, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, Grayson Chrisley, Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Chase Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley
Todd and Julie’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also sentenced Monday to 36 months in prison. He was facing up to 41, while his attorneys had asked for just 18.
Tarantino had also been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and willfully filing false tax returns.
The Chrisleys submitted a false document to a grand jury investigating their crimes and then convinced friends and family members to tell lies while testifying under oath during their trial, prosecutors wrote earlier this year during their trial.
‘The Chrisleys are unique given the varied and wide-ranging scope of their fraudulent conduct and the extent to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior for a prolonged period of time,’ prosecutors wrote.
Braddock, who revealed the couple’s fraud in court earlier this year, has been married to wife Leslie for more than three decades – with the couple celebrating their 35th anniversary on October 10, 2022, having tied the knot back in 1987.
Despite his testimony, she is said to be standing by her husband, with whom she shares two children.
In 2012, Braddock said Chrisley threw him out of his office and called the police, which caused Braddock to feel vengeful – and he eventually tipped off the FBI about Chrisley and his wife’s criminal activity.
On his USA Network series Chrisley Knows Best – which premiered in 2014 and is currently on its ninth season – Chrisley has documented his life as a dedicated father who was focused on raising a family with perfect manners and strong morals.
The couple’s multimillion dollar home in Brentwood. Their show depicted their seemingly picture-perfect southern lifestyle
Todd and Julie (pictured) maintain they did nothing wrong, have referred to their conviction as a ‘shakedown’
During the dramatic trial earlier this year, a shocking testimony given by Chrisley’s former employee-turned-lover Mark Braddock (pictured) revealed that he had a year-long gay affair with the reality star in the early 2000s – while they were both married to their respective wives
Their sentences come just days after their son Grayson was seriously injured in a car accident.
Grayson was driving his Ford F-150 on I-65 in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday evening when he plowed into the back of a Dodge pickup truck during rush hour, police said.
Photos of Grayson’s totaled car obtained by TMZ showed the white truck completely damaged in the front with a broken windshield on the driver’s side.
Grayson was rushed to hospital with head injuries, and police said when they arrived on scene at 5.30pm he couldn’t remember what happened. The driver of the red Dodge pickup truck was also injured, but did not need medical treatment.
Reality star Grayson Chrisley, 16, is seriously injured after plowing his truck into another while in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday
Grayson was on I-65 in his Ford F-150 when he went straight into a Dodge pickup truck at around 5.30pm
Grayson told police that he didn’t remember the accident and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The driver of the red pick-up (right) he plowed into was also injured, but he did not need medical treatment
Pictured: Grayson and Todd inside a truck during an episode where the now 16-year-old learns how to drive
Before Monday’s sentencing, prosecutors said they would seek the harshest sentencing for the pair after they ‘built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work’.
‘The jury’s unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner,’ prosecutors said in a court filing.
Todd’s lawyers wrote in a filing that he should not face more than nine years in prison and that the judge should sentence him below the lower end of the guidelines.
Julie’s lawyers wrote that a reasonable sentence for her would be probation with special conditions and no prison time.
In June, a jury found the couple guilty of a years-long tax and banking fraud conspiracy that allowed them to borrow $30million by inflating their earnings. The pair were spotted looking glum as they left their $3.375 million home in Brentwood, Tennessee in a black SUV on Friday
Todd will serve 12 years in prison for crimes relating to tax evasion
Julie, 49, appeared glum as she pulled out of the driveway with Todd, 53, in the passenger seat
Todd’s lawyers claimed in a court filing earlier this year that the government never produced any evidence that he meant to defraud any of the banks and that the loss amount calculated by the government is incorrect.
They also noted that the offenses of which he was convicted were committed a long time ago. He has no serious criminal history and has medical conditions that ‘would make imprisonment disproportionately harsh,’ they wrote.
His lawyers submitted letters from friends and business associates that show ‘a history of good deeds and striving to help others.’
People who rely on Todd – including his mother and the ‘scores of people’ employed by his television shows – will be harmed while he’s in prison, his lawyers wrote.
They urged the judge to give him a prison sentence below the guideline range followed by supervised release and restitution.
Julie’s lawyers wrote in a filing that she had a minimal role in the conspiracy and was not involved when the loans discussed in sentencing documents were obtained.
She has no prior convictions, is an asset to her community and has ‘extraordinary family obligations,’ her lawyers wrote, as they asked for a sentence of probation, restitution and community service.
Her lawyers submitted letters from family and friends that show she is ‘hard-working, unfailingly selfless, devoted to her family and friend, highly respected by all who know her, and strong of character.
The couple could face up to 22 years in prison for defrauding banks out of millions of dollars to fund their lavish lifestyle
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