The Verdict In Todd And Julie Chrisley's Fraud Case Is In
The verdict is in on Todd and Julie Chrisley's fraud trial as the saga of the reality TV couple's legal troubles continues. AP reported that the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars began their trial in May for their alleged crimes in Atlanta's federal court. In 2021, the Office of the Inspector-General found that Todd and Julie were "unfairly targeted" for federal tax evasion, per E! News. Despite these findings, the Chrisleys headed to trial.
The reality TV couple's fraud trial got messier when it came out that Todd reportedly carried on an affair with a man, his former business partner, while he was married to Julie. Insider reported Mark Braddock told the court he and Todd had a relationship in the early 2000s for a year. Chrisley's former business partner testified the pair continued working together and remained close friends until 2012. Then things went sour between Braddock and Todd.
The USA Network stars denied the fraud allegations since 2019. In August 2019, Todd posted about the fraud allegations against the couple on Instagram, writing, "It all started back in 2012, when we discovered that a trusted employee of ours had been stealing from us big time." Todd explained that their ex-employee was motivated by revenge to take "phony documents" to the U.S. Attorney, claiming the couple "committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud." But the verdict is in on Todd and Julie's federal case, and you might be surprised by the outcome.
Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion
Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of defrauding banks and hiding money from the IRS. Radar reported that the jury announced the verdict on June 7, and found the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars guilty on the charges of bank fraud and federal tax evasion. The attorney for the reality TV couple, Bruce Morris, told the outlet in a statement, "Disappointed with the verdict. Expect to appeal." Law360 reported Todd and Julie were "grim-faced" as they heard the verdict after three weeks of trial. According to Radar, the Chrisleys could get up to 30 years in prison.
Todd's ex-business partner Mark Braddock told the court he helped the scandalized couple commit fraud. Braddock testified (per Insider) that he falsified documents and impersonated Todd. During the trial, Chrisley's attorney attempted to shut down the claims from the former partner. Morris told the jury Braddock's claims were "fantasy," per Radar. Meanwhile, Insider reported that Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters said the couple submitted fake documents, exaggerated their income to banks, and borrowed more than $30 million. Peters told the court, "They made up documents, and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it." Ouch.
Watch this space; Todd and Julie's sentencing hearing is next up.