Reality TV Couple Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to prison in a $30 Million bank fraud and tax evasion case.
They started serving their sentences on January 17.
The couple’s daughter, Savannah Chrisley, recently updated fans about her parents’ jail time.
“It’s not as bad as expected,” she said on the January 31 episode of her Unlocked podcast. “It makes my heart to know that my parents are okay.”
Last year in November, Todd and Julie were charged with fraud allegations and granted a sentence of 12 and seven years, respectively.
“Todd Chrisley received 12 years in prison and 16 months probation while wife Julie Chrisley received seven years in prison, plus 16 months probation,” PEOPLE reported.
The couple is famous for their reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, which depicted their so-called picture-perfect southern lifestyle full of luxuries and whatnot.
The verdict came five months after the celebrity couple was found guilty of fraud and tax evasion.
According to Daily Mail, “Prosecutors said they took out $30 million in fraudulent bank loans. The couple used the money to fund their lifestyle, even before they had become reality stars. Todd and Julia also used a production company to hide income from the IRS, lawyers argued.”
The duo’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also given 36 months in prison for fraud on his client’s behalf.
“During the emotional sentencing hearing on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters showed footage of the Chrisleys bragging about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on clothes, from their 30,000-square-foot home, while avoiding taxes and in the middle of bankruptcy,” Insider wrote.
Earlier this year, during the trial, the convicted couple submitted a false document in court and convinced their friends and family members to lie while testifying under oath during the court hearings.
“The Chrisleys are unique given the varied and wide-ranging scope of their fraudulent conduct and the extent to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior for a prolonged period of time,” the prosecutors wrote.
The trial has been dramatic from the very beginning, including Todd’s former employee, Mark Braddock’s testimony in court. The employee-turned-lover shocked everyone by confirming that he had a year-long affair with his boss, 53-year-old Todd, in the early 2000s.
“They were involved with each other while they were both married to their respective wives,” per Daily Mail.
Regarding her dad, Todd Chrisley, 25-year-old Savannah said he is doing well.
“He’s doing pretty good, and even has a job working at his facility’s chapel, which is absolutely amazing,” she said.
“We talk to him, we email him. We get to see him, so for that, I am forever grateful, because there are so many people that don’t get to see their loved ones that are in different facilities, that are maybe in maximum-security prisons that don’t get visitors, that have to say hello through a piece of glass.”
She also read an email from her father during the podcast that contained a piece of advice from Todd – he wants Savannah to look after her brother Grayson, 16, and niece Chloe, “both of whom she has taken custody of since her parents’ sentencing,” per E! News.
“I want you to give yourself some grace,” Todd wrote in the email, “fall in love with the real Savannah, the one that I raised that radiates a room with her kindness and compassion, not the one the world wants to see.”
“Please tell my Chloe how much I love her, and always remind Grayson that he is my heart and soul,” he added.
Speaking about her mother, Julie, Savannah said, “She’s honestly doing really well. It sounds crazy for me to say, ‘Alright, they’re doing really well,’ but they are. My mom, she’s made friends, she’s keeping busy, she’s going to church, she’s working, she’s playing some spades.”
She also said that the past few months have taught her a lot about life and helped her find a new purpose in life.
“My mission is going to be to bring awareness to how broken our prison system is, how we have a system that does not encourage rehabilitation,” she continued.
“It does not encourage growth, it doesn’t encourage forgiveness, it just encourages, really, beating someone down further than they already are, and that’s really, really sad.”
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Sources: PEOPLE – Daily Mail – Insider – E! News – Unlocked podcast
