A federal judge on Wednesday resentenced Julie Chrisley to seven years in prison for her conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, declining the reality TV star's request for less time in prison than was originally imposed. Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, gained fame on their show, "Chrisley Knows Best," which followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle. A jury in 2022 found them guilty 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. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in June upheld the Chrisleys' convictions but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley's sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing. Julie Chrisley's attorney, Alex Little, asked the judge to reduce his client's sentence to no more than five years.
He argued that she was a minor player in the crimes, that her "scattered offenses" were "dramatic mistakes." He also noted that she has behaved well and taken advantage of enrichment opportunities during her 20 months in prison so far, receiving more than 70 certificates. In a court filing, Little had argued that Chrisley's two youngest children are struggling with "day-to-day functioning" because of their mother's absence.
Federal prosecutor Annalise Peters u.