Federal Jury Finds Todd And Julie Chrisley Guilty Of Bank Fraud And Tax Evasion

The news was not good for Chrisley Knows Best stars Todd and Julie Chrisley on Tuesday. Despite witness testimony to their innocence, a federal jury found the celebrity couple guilty on all charges relating to conspiracy to defraud banks and hide money from the IRS. An Atlanta federal jury convicted Todd Chrisley of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud. Julie Chrisley was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax fraud and wire fraud.

The Chrisleys’ former attorney, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns. Mark Braddock, Todd Chrisley’s former business partner who admitted to creating fake documents to send to banks to get loans on behalf of himself and the Chrisleys, was granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation. However, the immunity agreement does not prohibit other federal attorneys’ offices or state governments from prosecuting him on separate charges.

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Jurors started hearing testimony in the case on May 17 and began deliberations on June 3. The Chrisleys’ main defense was that Mark Braddock, the man who turned them in to the FBI, was also a fraudster. Bruce Morris, Todd Chrisley’s attorney, tried to convince jurors that emails from his client’s account could have been sent by Braddock. Morris argued that the emails produced to the government by Braddock could have been fake.

Mark Braddock testified earlier that he had had a year-long affair with Todd Chrisley, committed fraud on his behalf due to lingering feelings held for Todd and admitted to impersonating Chrisley on multiple occasions.

USA Network recently confirmed that the immensely popular series Chrisley Knows Best will return with new episodes this summer starting on June 23. The southern family was poised to take over E! with Growing Up Chrisley and the network had also greenlit a new dating series, Love Limo, which would see family patriarch Todd Chrisley guide one unlucky-in-love single on a whirlwind day of speed dating in the hopes of finding a perfect match that is Todd Chrisley-approved. Nevertheless, US Attorney’s Office confirmed to Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News that the Chrisleys have not been remanded to jail. Sentencing will be held at a later date.