Details About Todd And Julie Chrisley's Prison Sentences
Known for their upbeat, faith-driven personas and adoring fan base, Todd and Julie Chrisley first made a name for themselves on USA Network's reality shows beginning in 2014 (per CNN). In 2021, their programming brought in an average of 1.5 million viewers and was renewed for a ninth season (per NBCUniversal). You'll likely recognize this pair from shows like "According to Chrisley," "Chrisley Knows Best," or "Growing Up Chrisley" — but did you know Todd actually got his start in real estate?
Since they were first indicted in 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley have occupied the spotlight in a completely different way. With all of the new details about their incarceration, family drama, and personal finances on full display for the world to see, there's a lot of information to sort through. We were able to put together a detailed timeline of their case from start to finish, so you can catch up on the latest Chrisley news!
Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted in 2019
Though their legal troubles originally began in 2017 following an investigation into their finances, the Chrisleys and their former accountant, Peter Tarantino, were formally indicted two years later. According to the 12-count indictment, the couple stood accused of committing a slew of financial crimes with help from Tarantino and another unnamed business partner. The earliest listed offense dated back to 2007, well before the Chrisleys made a name for themselves on USA Network.
Defense attorneys said the "allegations contained in the indictment are based on complete falsehoods" (per People). The attorney who announced the indictment told WSB-TV, "We're very confident in the evidence [against the Chrisleys]."
After the indictment came down, the Chrisleys surrendered promptly to the authorities and pleaded not guilty. They were each ordered to pay $100,000 in bonds and told not to travel without permission from a parole officer (per WSB-TV). "We're going to fight, and we're going to win," defense attorney Bruce H. Morris told WSB-TV. "They are innocent of every single charge."
Despite the ongoing investigation, they were still able to travel to film their show (per People).
The Chrisleys denied the accusations
For his part, Todd Chrisley quickly took to social media to deny the allegations and share his side of the story. In an Instagram post, the "Chrisley Knows Best" lead attributed the whole thing to a disgruntled former employee's efforts to get revenge. "He took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney's Office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes," read the post. "I'm telling you all this now because we have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of."
He reaffirmed his belief in his innocence again at the end of the arraignment hearing. "We stand in our faith, and we stand in what we know is right," he told WSB-TV reporters outside of the courthouse. "We are fortunate to have the counsel that we have ... and we'll walk this road because we know that the good Lord will hold our hand and take us through."
Their trial took place nearly three years later
Their trial began in May 2022. Three weeks later, they were found guilty on all 12 counts (per People). According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the prosecution's evidence tied the Chrisleys to a yearslong pattern of fraud and tax evasion: "Before Todd and Julie Chrisley became reality television stars, they conspired to defraud community banks in the Atlanta area to obtain more than $30 million in personal loans. The Chrisleys, with the help of their former business partner, submitted false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements to banks to obtain the millions of dollars in fraudulent loans."
Mark Braddock, the unnamed employee mentioned above, testified that he helped Todd Chrisley falsify the documents (per Insider). "I would do whatever he needed to get done," he stated during the trial. Braddock was able to secure an immunity agreement in exchange for his cooperation with the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney's Office went on to say, "Todd Chrisley falsely claimed on a radio program that he paid $750,000 to $1 million in federal income taxes every year, even though he had not filed or paid his personal income tax returns for years."
They were put under house arrest for five months
Following their conviction on June 7, 2022, the Chrisleys were ordered to stay at home until their sentencing hearing later that year (per Insider). "After the verdict was read, the judge changed the bond on both of the Chrisleys," expert Julie Rendelman told Entertainment Tonight. "They are now on home confinement although they can go out for doctors' visits and the like."
Todd was the first one to be seen outside of the house. He briefly stepped out of his luxury home in Tennessee, no shoes on, to grab a bag of muffins from his daughter Savannah Chrisley days after the verdict was announced (per Daily Mail). Though not much is known about the couple's day-to-day activities during this stay-at-home chapter, Todd has expressed they wanted to keep it that way at the time. "I know all of you guys are wanting to know every detail that is going on in our lives, and I have to ask that you respect that we're not allowed to talk about it at the present time," he said (per "Chrisley Confessions").
He later referred to it as a period of self-reflection and grieving. "With all the stuff that we've had going on, you start to let anger kind of become the armor around your heart because you don't want to feel the pain," he told Savannah during an episode of her podcast "Unlocked." "It's almost been like a grieving process."
They asked the judge for leniency with sentencing
Following the trial and guilty verdict, a sentencing hearing was set for October 6, 2022 (per U.S. Attorney's Office). According to People, the hearing ended up being postponed until November at the request of the Chrisleys' legal team. Though the prosecution sought maximum sentences for Todd and Julie (which would have been 21 and 12 years, respectively), defense attorneys argued for a reduced sentence (per New York Times). Based on court documents on Fox 5, the couple's lawyers said the jail time should be limited because of how many people it could impact.
In a memo written in support of Todd, lawyers state, "Many people rely on Todd Chrisley and will be severely and negatively impacted when he is sentenced to imprisonment. His mother is one such person. ... Likewise, the scores of people who are employed in the production and filming of the Chrisley television shows will be harmed when he is incarcerated."
The Chrisleys also personally asked the judge for additional leniency, due to their desire to maintain custody of their youngest child, 10-year-old Chloe (per Insider). "My wife, Julie, should not be punished," Todd told the court. Julie added, "To hear your 10-year-old say she doesn't want to live if their mom goes away, no child should feel that way."
Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced in November 2022
In November 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley were ordered to serve 12 and seven years, respectively, in prison (per CNN). Though the prosecution sought up to 41 months in prison for their former accountant, Tarantino ultimately received a sentence of 36 months (per Insider).
They were also ordered to pay a reported $17.2 million in restitution; the New York Post has suggested this hefty fee could crush the couple financially. "They're going to have to give up a lot of things, including their homes, sadly," a source told the publication. "They won't be able to afford it."
Authorities have said they hope the Chrisleys' longer sentences will discourage others from attempting to game the system in the future. "Over the course of a decade, the defendants defrauded banks out of tens of millions of dollars while evading payment of their federal income taxes," said Ryan K. Buchanan, a representative lawyer from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "Their lengthy sentences reflect the magnitude of their criminal scheme and should serve as a warning to others."
They've pledged to fight their convictions
Immediately after the sentencing, the Chrisleys began working on an appeal (per People). "You just have to hope and pray to God that when one division of the judicial system fails, that the next level, which is the appellate court, sees the mistakes and tries to correct those mistakes," Todd said during an episode of "Chrisley Confessions."
Though it's likely to be a long process, the couple's legal team has said the family remains optimistic and focused on overturning the verdict. "Todd and Julie are people of faith, and that faith gives them strength as they appeal their convictions," attorney Alex Little told CBS News.
Though it's possible the Chrisleys' appeal will be successful, it may all come down to their public statements, instead. Legal expert Neama Rhamani told Us Weekly, "Instead of accepting responsibility, they doubled down. They gave interviews, they posted on social media claiming they're innocent. So, I'm not surprised that the judge didn't cut them a break when they failed to accept any responsibility for the fraud that they've committed."
In response to criticisms like this, the family's lawyers told People, "It's certainly true that courts want to hear defendants accept responsibility, but it's also hard to accept responsibility when you haven't done what you're accused of doing."
No bail or extended surrender date for the Chrisleys
With an initial surrender date set for early 2023, the Chrisleys reportedly asked the judge for bail and a 21-day extension. According to Us Weekly, which reviewed paperwork from the court proceedings, the couple made an in-person plea for these exceptions but were ultimately denied.
Since their sentencing, Todd and Julie have spent their remaining days of freedom living "every day as if it's our last" (via "Chrisley Confessions"). Their daughter Lindsie Chrisley told People, "My parents are definitely dedicating their time in therapy and their biblical studies, as well as with their children."
Julie Chrisley in particular expressed she wanted to use the time to set a good example for her kids. "Any difficulty that I am going through or that I have gone through, I have tried to go through it always thinking and knowing that my children are watching," she said on the podcast. "For me as a parent, I want to try to make sure that I do it right more than I do it wrong."
Continued drama over adopted daughter Chloe
With the two reality television stars slated to report to prison, a new problem arose for the family: who was going to take custody of their two young children, Grayson and Chloe? Grayson Chrisley, 16, is Todd and Julie's youngest child. He got into a pretty serious car wreck in December 2022 but escaped unscathed. "They made it seem like I'd died," he said while discussing media coverage of the accident (per "Unlocked"). "I was like, 'Bro, I'm fine.'"
Chloe Chrisley, 10, is technically Todd's granddaughter. Todd and Julie adopted Chloe after her parents, Kyle Chrisley and Angela Johnson, reportedly both ran into legal troubles of their own (per TMZ). According to the publication, Angela has been trying to regain custody of Chloe in light of the Chrisleys' 2022 prison sentence. "I want her home. She deserves to be home," she told TMZ. "I don't think it's right for them to just pretend I don't exist."
For their part, the Chrisleys have said Chloe's biological mom wasn't very present in her life, before and after the official adoption. "Angela Johnson surrendered her parental rights on March of 2017, and we never heard from her again," Todd said during a December episode of "Chrisley Confessions."
In the end, Savannah Chrisley ended up assuming custody of both Grayson and Chloe (per "Unlocked"). "I have to be a positive role model for Chloe and Grayson," she said. "No matter how hard it gets, I gotta show up."
The two reported to different prisons in January 2023
With no bail posted and nothing to delay them from carrying out their sentences, Todd and Julie Chrisley turned themselves over to authorities on January 17, 2023 (per People). Public records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons website reveal that the two reported to different prisons to carry out their sentences. Todd resides at FPC Pensacola in Florida, while Julie remains at FMC Lexington in Kentucky.
Both are fairly low-level security federal prisons that allow visitors, monetary donations for use at the commissary, and access to legal information (to help with appeals). As described in both inmate orientation handbooks, Todd and Julie will also have access to educational programs, parental counseling, fitness training (including sports), and other leisure activities.
The total length of their incarceration is very much up to them, said legal expert Neama Rhamani. "Under federal law, they have to serve 85% of their sentence, even if they're model inmates," Rhamani told Us Weekly. "So, you can get a short amount of time off for good behavior if they're model inmates, of course, but they're not gonna get the discount that they might get in certain states where some states actually serve half or even less than that portion of your sentence."
The Chrisleys have dismissed related rumors
When Mark Braddock initially testified against Todd Chrisley, he alluded that the two shared a close relationship before they were business partners (per Insider). "I was complicit in giving him what he needed," Braddock reportedly told the court. "We had a personal relationship of an intimate nature."
Media outlets began running stories about the alleged affair, which Todd has said never happened. He took to his podcast to deny the rumor, which he said was insulting and embarrassing (per "Chrisley Confessions"). "It's not uncomfortable for us because we know the truth," he said, stating that Braddock had changed his story on the subject multiple times.
There was also media speculation about Julie's health, considering that the prison she was sent to also functions as a medical center. In 2012, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; she later had her ovaries removed to prevent the cancer from returning (per Us Weekly). Though she's been in remission ever since, it was rumored the choice of prison meant that cancer was back in her life. In one of their last episodes of the podcast (recorded just before they reported to prison), the couple reiterated that their health was in good standing. "Neither one of us is dying of cancer that we know of," Todd said (per "Chrisley Confessions").
The Chrisley family is adjusting to a new normal
Following their parents' incarceration, the rest of the Chrisley family has been getting accustomed to what they're calling their "new normal" (per Los Angeles Times). The outcome came as a shock to the family, evidenced best by their many public statements to that effect. "The verdict is not what I had hoped or prayed for, and I am deeply saddened for myself, my son, and my family as a whole," Lindsie Chrisley wrote in an Instagram story (per CBS 8).
Savannah, who's been filling the podcast void left by her parents, appears to be taking on the role of family lead during the strange transition. She described how difficult it's been dealing with being cut off from her parents behind the scenes while trying to help the youngest family members adapt. "I think there's a level of guilt, too, for myself, knowing that Chloe and Grayson are not going to have that same feeling of, 'Are Mom and Dad going to be home tonight?'" she told fans on "Unlocked."
According to one of the Chrisley family lawyers, Todd and Julie want fans to know they're optimistic about a retrial. "I think they'd want folks to know that they are the same people they've always been," Alex Little told Entertainment Tonight. "That they didn't do these things and that they're going to fight to get their name cleared."