Todd and Julie Chrisley, the former stars of the reality TV show “Chrisley Knows Best,” have had their prison sentences reduced.
The couple was initially sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison, with Todd sentenced to 12 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Julie received a seven-year sentence for the same charges plus an additional charge each of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
But on September 8, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Todd’s sentence had been reduced by two years and Julie’s had been reduced by 14 months, Today reported.
It is not uncommon for prisoners to be released early for good behavior, so the new, earlier release dates likely reflect that contingency.
In July, the Chrisley’s children described the “inhumane conditions” at the prisons where their parents are being held.
“They both have no air. No air conditioning … They’re both in states where it gets 100-plus degrees. And there’s no air conditioning,” Chase Chrisley said.
The couple’s daughter, Savannah, claimed their mom had seen venomous snakes in her cell.
“No s***….I don’t care if you killed somebody, if you’re in a government facility, you should have air conditioning. Like that’s just ridiculous,” Chase said.
“Air conditioning is the least of it. Whenever you’ve got black mold, asbestos, lead-based paint, snakes,” Savannah responded.
Savannah added, “It is prison, so we’re not gonna sit here and act like it should be the Four Seasons.”
The Chrisleys reported to prison in January, following their sentencing last November.
Todd Chrisley made a fortune through Chrisley Asset Management, a real estate company he founded in Georgia, The Daily Wire previously reported. The success of the business, combined with Todd’s personality and large family, made him a perfect candidate for reality TV, which led to “Chrisley Knows Best.”
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Even before the Chrisleys began their reality show in 2014, they had financial problems. In 2012, Todd filed for bankruptcy protection. Explaining the filing, his lawyer told People, “He guaranteed a real estate development loan and it failed. He was on the hook for $30 million. If he hadn’t had that happen, he would have been fine, financially.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), however, explained that the Chrisleys — prior to their reality show — “conspired to defraud community banks in the Atlanta area to obtain more than $30 million in personal loans.”
With the help of a business partner, Mark Braddock, the Chrisleys “submitted false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements to banks to obtain the millions of dollars in fraudulent loans,” the DOJ wrote.
In 2017, the couple’s problems expanded. WSB-TV reported at the time that the Chrisleys owed nearly $800,000 in taxes to the state of Georgia and had declared their residency on numerous public records before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2016.
In 2018, Todd sued Homebanc Mortgage Corporation, Radar Online reported, alleging a “former business partner” forged Todd’s name on the mortgage and made some payments on his behalf. Todd also claimed that the same business partner was the reason he had to file for bankruptcy protection in 2012.
In 2019, the Chrisleys were indicted. After a three-week trial in 2022, the couple was convicted.