NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An appeals court has vacated reality TV star Julie Chrisley’s fraud sentence and ordered a re-sentencing.
Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, earned fame for the show “Chrisley Knows Best” that chronicled the exploits of their tight-knit family. They were both convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle.
The couple’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, stood trial with them and was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of the Chrisleys and Tarantino, but vacated Julie Chrisley’s sentence, explaining in court documents filed Friday that it could not independently find evidence to hold her accountable for losses incurred before 2007.
They did, however, find sufficient evidence tying her to fraud from multiple years starting in 2007.
“We must vacate Julie’s sentence so the district court can address the narrow issue of what the proper loss amount attributable to Julie is” so that her sentence can be re-calculated, the appeals panel wrote.
Chrisley’s case now goes back to the lower court for re-sentencing.
“We’re pleased that the Court agreed that Julie’s sentence was improper, but we’re obviously disappointed that it rejected Todd’s appeal,” Alex Little, acting as counsel for the Chrisleys, said. “With this step behind us, we can now challenge the couple’s convictions based on the illegal search that started the case. The family appreciates the continued support they’ve received throughout this process. And they’re hopeful for more good news in the future.”
You can view the appeals court filing below:
Shortly after the court released its decision, the Chrisleys’ daughter, Savannah, posted an Instagram Reel describing it as “a little win.”
Before the Chrisleys became reality television stars, they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans, prosecutors said during the trial. They accused the couple of spending lavishly on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel, and using new fraudulent loans to pay off old ones. Todd Chrisley then filed for bankruptcy, according to prosecutors, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.
Their defense attorneys argued unsuccessfully on appeal that an IRS officer lied at the trial when he testified about the couple still owing taxes and that prosecutors knowingly failed to correct that false testimony. They also asserted that prosecutors failed to show enough evidence to convict the Chrisleys of tax evasion and conspiracy, or that Julie Chrisley participated in bank fraud.
Tarantino’s lawyer argued that the accountant was harmed by being tried with the Chrisleys. His request for a new trial was denied.
Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd Chrisley got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.
Todd Chrisley, 56, is at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, with a release date in September 2032, while Julie Chrisley, 51, is at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, and is due for release in July 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Tarantino, 61, is being held in a minimum security federal prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama, with a release date in August of next year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
