Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best were indicted on charges of tax evasion Tuesday, to which they plead not guilty.
What We Know:
- The indictment also includes 12 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, and wire fraud in their accused efforts to hide their reality TV income from the IRS. The charges are on behalf of a federal grand jury in Atlanta, though the couple has resided in Nashville for a few years now. With these charges, the Chrisleys could face over 30 years in prison for committing bank fraud to take out millions of dollars in loans.
- The couple is now in custody in Georgia after they surrendered to authorities Wednesday morning; The couple appeared before a federal judge late Wednesday, the details of which have not yet been released. Attorneys for the Chrisleys, Bruce H. Morris and Stephen M. Friedberg, have released a statement in support of the couple, expressing that they have “no doubt that if this case ever reaches a courtroom, Todd and Julie will be completely exonerated.”
- Todd shared an Instagram post on Monday detailing the situation and maintaining his family’s innocence. He claims that in 2012, he and his wife found out a “trusted employee” had been financially stealing from the family by creating false documents and forging signatures. When Todd and Julie sued, this employee retaliated by taking his falsified documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and planting crimes, like tax evasion, on the famous couple. Though the issue was settled back in 2012, this same employee has reopened this drama by taking these documents to new investigators at the US Attorney’s office in exchange for immunity.
- “I’m telling you this now because we have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of,” Todd wrote in his post. Todd referenced Jeremiah 51:36 and Proverbs 3:5-6, calling upon his family’s famous public religiosity, putting his faith in God to allow the “truth [to] prevail.”
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- The Chrisleys are best known for their reality TV show Chrisley Knows Best which aired on USA Network in 2014 and has run for seven seasons. The family also has a spinoff show, Growing Up Chrisley, focused on their kids’ move to Los Angeles. Todd hosted a talk show, According to Chrisley, which aired on USA for one season in 2017.
Time will tell if the couple actually committed fraud or if this convoluted story is actually true and the couple was setup.
