More than two years after Todd and Julie Chrisley were charged with several counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, the Chrisley Knows Best stars’ trial got underway in May 2022.
Todd, 53, and Julie, 49, arrived in an Atlanta court on May 17 for opening statements, during which Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters alleged that the pair exaggerated their earnings to banks to borrow more than $30 million.
“They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,” Peters said in court, claiming that they hid funds from the IRS, according to Insider.
The USA stars’ lawyer, in response, has stated that Todd and Julie’s former employee Mark Braddock committed the crimes behind the twosome’s back by impersonating Todd after he was fired in 2012. While Peters referred to Braddock as a “fraudster” as she spoke to the jury, she claimed that Todd and Julie’s alleged fraud continued after he was terminated.
“All along, the goal was to hide the money,” Peters said, alleging that Todd, Julie and Braddock “targeted” community banks and cut and pasted parts of financial documents, a term referred to as “scrapbooking.”
Todd, who has been married to Julie since 1996, denied the allegations against the couple in 2019.
“It all started back in 2012, when we discovered that a trusted employee of ours had been stealing from us big time. I won’t go into details, but it involved all kinds of really bad stuff like creating phony documents forging our signatures, and threatening other employees with violence if they said anything. We even discovered that he illegally bugged our home,” he wrote via Instagram. “To get revenge, he took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud. That got their attention all right, but once we had a chance to explain who he was and what he’d done to us, they realized it was all a bunch of nonsense and they sent him on his way.”
Todd alleged at the time that the former employee “persuaded a different set of investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s office not only to reopen the case but also to grant him immunity from prosecution for his own crimes and bring charges against us.”
He concluded at the time: “I’m telling you all this now because we have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of. Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”
Scroll through for more on the case:
More than two years after Todd and Julie Chrisley were charged with several counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, the Chrisley Knows Best stars’ trial got underway in May 2022.
Todd, 53, and Julie, 49, arrived in an Atlanta court on May 17 for opening statements, during which Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters alleged that the pair exaggerated their earnings to banks to borrow more than $30 million.
“They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,” Peters said in court, claiming that they hid funds from the IRS, according to Insider.
The USA stars’ lawyer, in response, has stated that Todd and Julie’s former employee Mark Braddock committed the crimes behind the twosome’s back by impersonating Todd after he was fired in 2012. While Peters referred to Braddock as a “fraudster” as she spoke to the jury, she claimed that Todd and Julie’s alleged fraud continued after he was terminated.
“All along, the goal was to hide the money,” Peters said, alleging that Todd, Julie and Braddock “targeted” community banks and cut and pasted parts of financial documents, a term referred to as “scrapbooking.”
Todd, who has been married to Julie since 1996, denied the allegations against the couple in 2019.
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“It all started back in 2012, when we discovered that a trusted employee of ours had been stealing from us big time. I won’t go into details, but it involved all kinds of really bad stuff like creating phony documents forging our signatures, and threatening other employees with violence if they said anything. We even discovered that he illegally bugged our home,” he wrote via Instagram. “To get revenge, he took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud. That got their attention all right, but once we had a chance to explain who he was and what he’d done to us, they realized it was all a bunch of nonsense and they sent him on his way.”
Todd alleged at the time that the former employee “persuaded a different set of investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s office not only to reopen the case but also to grant him immunity from prosecution for his own crimes and bring charges against us.”
He concluded at the time: “I’m telling you all this now because we have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of. Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”
Scroll through for more on the case:
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What Are Their Sentences?
Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison in November 2022, while Julie was sentenced to seven. The pair are also set to serve 16 months probation.
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What Are Todd and Julie Chrisley Charged With?
Todd and Julie were indicted on five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud. Julie, who has been accused of creating a fake credit report and false bank statements to rent a home, is also charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice, according to The Tennessean.
The couple’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, is also on trial as he was charged with two counts of willfully filing false tax returns and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government.
Todd, Julie and Tarantino have pleaded not guilty.
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Who Is Mark Braddock?
According to Insider, Braddock told the court that he met Todd in the early 2000s through their respective children’s school and became friends. He worked for Todd’s foreclosure-management businesses until 2012. Braddock, who the government gave an immunity agreement in exchange for his cooperation, testified that he created fake Microsoft Word documents to lie about Todd and Julie’s income to make them look wealthier so they could allegedly acquire loans.
The Chrisleys’ attorney Morris, meanwhile, claimed that Braddock was “obsessed” with Todd and went to the FBI for “protection and revenge.” He also alleged Braddock stole from the couple.
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What Did Todd and Julie Chrisley Spend Their Money On?
Braddock alleged that Todd and Julie were “spending more than they were making,” paying for three housekeepers, buying expensive cars and paying for Todd to go to California from Atlanta for twice-a-month hair appointments at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
“He needed $500,000 to $600,000 a month just to stay even,” Braddock, who claimed the twosome were given at least $60 million in loans, stated.
When asked about Todd’s claims that he spends $300,000 a year on clothes — a comment he made on Chrisley Knows Best — the TV star’s lawyer implied the show wasn’t completely real.
“It’s all part of the sizzle. It’s all part of the show,” Morris said, per Insider. “It’s all part of the act.”
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Todd Chrisley’s Former Employee Alleged They Were ‘Intimate’
“I was complicit in giving him what he needed. We had a personal relationship of an intimate nature. I would do whatever he needed to get done,” Braddock testified, per Insider, claiming that the two men had a “brotherhood” and business relationship after their alleged one-year intimate relationship ended.
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The Blackmailer Claims
Braddock claimed in court that Todd paid $38,000 in cash for an anonymous blackmailer who texted Todd and Braddock with threats to expose their alleged affair and fraudulent behavior.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Lindsie Chrisley Testifies
Todd’s eldest daughter has previously called her father a “monster” and claimed he and brother Chase Chrisley threatened to release her alleged sex tape. In court, however, according to Insider, she claimed that there was no sex tape and she no longer believes Todd tried to extort her. She was also reportedly scolded by the judge for not taking the prosecutor’s questions seriously.
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Closing Statements
Morris’ closing statement slammed Braddock again.
“I suggest to you that Mark Braddock is the very picture of reasonable doubt,” the Chrisleys’ lawyer said on June 2, claiming that the affair allegations are a “fantasy.”
The lawyer also fired back at the government’s testimony about alleged emails between the couple and Braddock directing their former employee to change the bank documents. “If the emails produced by Mark Braddock really existed, AOL would have produced them,” Braddock said.
The jury subsequently began deliberations.
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What Was the Verdict?
The jury reached a decision on June 7, finding the couple guilty on all counts. The twosome were “disappointed in the verdict” and already planning to appeal, according to a statement from their attorney. A sentencing was scheduled for a later date.
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Was the Trial Filmed?
Us confirmed one day after the pair received their verdict that the court proceedings were not filmed for Chrisley Knows Best. A source revealed that part 2 of the show’s ninth season “was filmed prior to the trial.”
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Savannah Speaks Out
“This life is so cruel and we’re all doing the best we can. I will continue to stand by my family and fight for justice. Justice for ourselves and for others that the system has failed,” Todd and Julie’s oldest daughter wrote in a social media statement on June 16. “Recently, I’ve felt let down by God, that my relentless prayers have been unheard. But I do believe that He will use every hardship and adversity we go through to strengthen us and prepare us for an even greater purpose.”
Savannah continued: “So I will continue believing in our Lord and Savior … I pray for strength, hope, and love. Thank you to all of those that continue to stand by our sides. This fight isn’t over.”
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
What Are Todd and Julie’s Next Steps?
The pair’s sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2022. Weeks after the June 7 verdict, Todd and Julie were granted a 30-day extension to file for acquittal after obtaining three new lawyers to join their team. The couple claimed in paperwork filed on June 14 that the delay was “necessary” to review court transcripts and properly prepare their argument.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Building Their Legal Team
According to court documents obtained by Us in June, the Chrisleys requested to add three new attorneys to their legal team ahead of their sentencing hearing, bringing the total number of lawyers to five. Two of the new hires specialize in criminal defense cases as well as entertainment law and appeals. The couple previously filed for an acquittal in the wake of their guilty verdict.
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Gaining More Support
The CEO of Superior Marketing, who has worked with the family, especially Chase, exclusively told Us on June 27 that he would continue to back the group amid their ups and downs. “I will continue to support them because they are a good family, [have] good values,” David said in a statement. “I think the people don’t see the real side of them; they only see the TV side. I wish people can see how truly great that they are. I just feel bad that they’re getting all this negative publicity. I support them because I’ve seen a better side of the family.”
The businessman noted that he didn’t know what the “future will hold” when it comes to working with the Chrisley family. “Sentencing isn’t until October, so I really don’t know what is going to happen or what is not going to happen,” he added. “I hope I will continue on [with them].”
Credit: Courtesy Julie Chrisley/Instagram
Requesting a New Court Date
In September 2022, the Chrisleys and Peter filed a motion asking the court to push back their October 6 sentencing date to November 21 or later. The judge has yet to approve the request.
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Sentencing Date Postponed
In September 2022, the Chrisley Knows Best stars’ sentencing date, originally set for October 6, was postponed to November 21.
Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Facing Their Sentencing
The couple are set to begin their sentencing hearing on November 21. Per ABC News, Todd is facing up to 22 years in prison, while Julie is looking at a maximum sentence of 12 and a half years. One week prior, their son Grayson was involved in a car accident and had to be treated at a hospital for his injuries, TMZ reported.
Sarah Hearon
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