Appeals judges rule Julie Chrisley must be resentenced in bank fraud and tax evasion case

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Federal appeals judges overturned reality TV personality Julie Chrisley's sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion on Friday, June 21. Citing a "narrow issue," the panel directed a lower court to reevaluate her punishment.

Julie and her husband, Todd Chrisley, rose to prominence with the show 'Chrisley Knows Best', which followed their close-knit family.

The couple was found guilty of scheming to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in illegal loans in 2022. They were also found guilty of tax evasion for concealing their income despite leading opulent lives, as per the New York Post. 

Todd and Julie's combined sentence stood at 19 years. Todd later managed to shave off two years from his original 12-year sentence, while Julie's seven-year sentence was reduced by 14 months in September 2023.

Peter Tarantino, the couple's accountant, who stood trial with them, was found guilty of knowingly filing fraudulent tax returns and conspiring to defraud the United States. He was sentenced to three years in prison. 

Julie Chrisley's case sent back to a lower court for resentencing

A three-judge panel of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals determined on Friday that Julie's original seven-year sentence from 2022 had been incorrectly computed by the first trial judge. This led the judges to rule that the 'Chrisley Knows Best' star needed to receive a new sentence.

Julie was found guilty of the entire bank fraud conspiracy, which started in 2006, according to the judges' verdict. However, on Friday, they ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to prove Julie was complicit prior to 2007.

According to the panel, neither the trial judge nor the prosecutors presented "any specific evidence showing she was involved in 2006," according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE Magazine.

The judges stated in their decision on Friday, "The problem is that we have not located the evidence the district court relied on in adopting that finding."

"Our review of the record hasn’t revealed evidence to show, even by a preponderance of the evidence, that [Julie] was involved in 2006. Indeed, the government’s brief concedes that the evidence shows Julie 'participated in the bank fraud conspiracy from 2007,' not 2006," added the statement.

Julie's case will now be sent back to a lower court for resentencing, allowing a judge to address the "narrow issue" of how much her sentence should differ from the original verdict.

The Chrisleys' lawyer, Alex Little, told PEOPLE Magazine, "We're pleased that the Court agreed that Julie's sentence was improper, but we’re obviously disappointed that it rejected Todd’s appeal. With this step behind us, we can now challenge the couple's convictions based on the illegal search that started the case."

"The family appreciates the continued support they've received throughout this process. And they're hopeful for more good news in the future," further noted Little. 

Savannah Chrisley shares an update on mother Julie Chrisley's appeal ruling

Savannah Chrisley, the couple's daughter, took to Instagram to share an update video on the verdict. She addressed the appeal straight to the camera.

Savannah called the three-judge panel's verdict "a little win" while pointing out that it "didn't necessarily go as we had hoped." The 'Royal Pains' star went on to read directly from the opinion and added the bit as a caption to the video.

The caption of the post read, "After careful consideration, and with the benefit of oral argument, we affirm the district court on all issues except for the loss amount attributed to Julie."

"The district court did not identify the evidence it relied on to hold Julie accountable for losses incurred before 2007, and we cannot independently find it in the record. So we vacate Julie’s sentence and remand solely for the district court to make the factual findings and calculations necessary to determine loss, restitution, and forfeiture as to Julie and to resentence her accordingly." 

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Todd, 56, is scheduled for release in September 2032 from a minimal security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, and Julie, 51, is due for release in July 2028 from a facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

Tarantino, 61, is incarcerated in a federal prison camp with minimal security near Montgomery, Alabama, and is likely to be released in August 2025.