Todd Chrisley, Wife Julie Sentenced To Multiple Years In Prison In Tax Fraud Case

Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie, received their sentences for their tax fraud case Monday.

The "Chrisley Knows Best" stars who were convicted of fraud in June were sentenced to multiple years in federal prison on Nov. 21. Todd was sentenced to 12 years, while his wife got seven years, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced in a statement obtained by E! News.

"Over the course of a decade, the defendants defrauded banks out of tens of millions of dollars while evading payment of their federal income taxes," U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement. "Their lengthy sentences reflect the magnitude of their criminal scheme and should serve as a warning to others tempted to exploit our nation's community banking system for unlawful personal gain."

Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, added, "As this sentencing proves, when you lie, cheat and steal, justice is blind to your fame, fortune and position."

An Atlanta deferral jury federally indicted the couple on 12 counts in August 2019, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They pleaded not guilty on June 7.

Following the court's decision, Todd's counsel told E! News that they were "disappointed" with the verdict and planned to appeal. Todd also turned to social media to deny the wrongdoing.

"We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of," he wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of his family. "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 prove it."

He blamed the legal drama on a former employee who was fired in 2012. He accused the employer of "stealing from us big time" and alleged that the worker retaliated against them by sending "phony documents" to the U.S. attorney's office, alleging that "we had committed all kinds of financial crimes."

Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in committing fraud on his client's behalf.

During the sentencing hearing on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Analise Peters showed footage of the Chrisleys bragging about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their wardrobe while avoiding taxes amid bankruptcy.

"Of course, there is nothing bad about being rich. There is nothing wrong about making lots of money. It's the American dream," Peters said, as per Insider, adding that it's also essential for Americans to pay taxes.