How long will Todd and Julie Chrisley have to go to prison?

Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty in June of bank fraud and tax evasion in what prosecutors dubbed a “15-year fraud spree.” For their crimes the two stars of the USA Network’s top-rated reality show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” were handed down lengthy prison sentences.

Likewise, their accountant Peter Tarantino, who was convicted of helping the couple conspire to defraud the IRS and file false tax returns, also received jail time.

How long will Todd and Julie Chrisley have to go to prison?

According to federal prosecutors sentencing memo, they had asked that Mr Chrisley, 54, be sentenced to between 17 and almost 22 years, and that his wife, 49, serve 10 to 12 and a half years. Meanwhile attorneys for each defendant called for reduced sentences, a maximum of nine years for Todd and no incarceration for Julie. Her husband had also pleaded for leniency for his wife citing that she is the caregiver for their 16-year-old son Grayson and 10-year-old granddaughter Chloe.

In the end, the federal judge gave Todd Chrisley 12 years and Julie Chrisley 7 years. “As this sentencing proves, when you lie, cheat, and steal, justice is blind to your fame, fortune, and position,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Keri Farley in a statement. Tarantino received three years for his part in the conspiracy. All three also got three years of supervised release once they’ve served out their sentences.

“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. Their lengthy sentences reflect the magnitude of their criminal scheme and should serve as a warning to others tempted to exploit our nation’s community banking system for unlawful personal gain,” said US Attorney Ryan K Buchanan in a statement on their sentences.

In addition to their prison sentences both Todd and Julie Chrisley have been ordered to pay restitution, which will be determined at a later date, for the tens of millions they defrauded banks.

What were Todd and Julie Chrisley convicted of?

The stars of “Chrisley Knows Best” were convicted in June for multiple fraud schemes. They began their defrauding of Atlanta area community banks prior to launching their reality TV show and continued for over a decade. In that time, they managed to obtain over $36 million from various institutions by submitting false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements.

The “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,” used the money to live a life of luxury. They “built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” said prosecutors which in reality was “upon the backs of defrauded community banks that collapsed.” In the end Todd Chrisley walked away from more than $20 million in fraudulently obtained loans after he filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Furthermore, in cahoots with their accountant Peter Tarantino, the celebrity couple conspired to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. While earning millions from “Chrisley Knows Best” they evaded half a million dollars in delinquent taxes owed by Mr Chrisley by keeping corporate bank accounts only in Mrs Chrisley’s name. They tried to further conceal the corporate account by transferring ownership to another relative when the IRS investigated Julie.

Additionally, the couple did not file nor pay any taxes from 2013 through 2016, despite claiming on a radio program that he paid $750,000 to $1 million in federal income taxes every year. Tarantino falsely claimed that the couple’s loan-out company, through which they funneled income for their TV show, had zero income and no distributions in 2015 and 2016.

Julie Chrisley was also charged and convicted of obstruction of justice for submitting a fraudulent document to make it appear that the Chrisleys had not lied after learning of the grand jury investigation.