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�.
