Chrisley Knows how to get convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion Best

A federal jury convicted reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley earlier today

Chrisley Knows how to get convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion Best
Julie and Todd Chrisley smiling normally Photo: Danielle Del Valle (Getty Images for E3 Chophouse Nashville)

One of the ongoing dramas of the 21st century is “who the hell is Chrisley, and why do they know best?” To the untrained eye, Todd and Julie Chrisley of the People’s Choice Award-winning reality show Chrisley Knows Best resemble the many other wealthy charisma voids that reside in the deep recesses of reality TV’s bowels. Across 10 seasons, they’ve stomped around a McMansion farting out segments like “how do I book a restaurant reservation” and “you can’t go out dressed like that.” However, they’re much more than that. They’re also convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion.

Per Insider, earlier today, an Atlanta federal jury convicted Todd Chrisley of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. Todd’s wife, Julie Chrisley, had her own convictions, including all the above and an additional wire fraud charge. Their former attorney Peter Tarantino was also convicted of conspiracy to defraud the US and willfully filing false tax returns. The Chrisleys currently face up to 30 years in prison.

Prosecutors found that the Chrisleys had manipulated financial records to appear wealthier than they really were, allowing them to apply for more than $30 million in loans, which the Chrisleys spent on their lavish lifestyle that they couldn’t afford otherwise. According to Insider, by the time the bank caught on, the Chrisleys had filed for bankruptcy, freeing them of $20 million in debt.

Before Chrisley Knows Best, Todd Chrisley was a Georgia-based real estate mogul. After pitching the show to nine networks, USA was the one that wanted to put this deeply weird family on the air, and they’ve done just that for the last 10 seasons. In fact, new episodes of Chrisley Knows Best premiere on June 23 on USA. There are also the spin-offs, including Growing Up Chrisley (now in its fourth season) and Love Limo, a dating show hosted by matchmaker Todd Chrisley.

Todd also charted on Billboard in 2016 with the song “Infinite Love,” which, much like “Todd Chrisley having a reality show for 10 years” and “Todd Chrisley sells Todd Chrisley matchmaker show,” is just one of those strange, sad facts about America that we all have to live with.

 
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