Todd and Julie Chrisley Fraud Case: Legal Expert Weighs In on Sentencing, Child Custody and More

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Todd and Julie Chrisley Fraud Case: Legal Expert Weighs In on Sentencing, Child Custody and More

What the future holds. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted of tax evasion and fraud earlier this month, but a lot of questions still remain — including how much prison time they could be facing. "It's pretty serious," Beverly Hills-based legal analyst Jeffrey W. Steinberger, who is not affiliated with the case, exclusively tells Us Weekly. "It's significant in two ways: one, it's an enormous [monetary] number, and significantly enormous numbers draw enormous jail time. Secondly, since they have been on the air and are famous personalities, most prosecutors tend to give heavier sentences to bank fraud and tax fraud cases in an effort to deter non-celebrity people from committing the same crimes." The Chrisley Knows Best star, 53, and his wife, 49, were convicted on charges of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy after a trial that concluded on June 7. After the duo's indictment in 2019, Todd denied the allegations against them in a lengthy statement, claiming that the charges stemmed from former employee Mark Braddock's attempt to get "revenge" on the couple. “He took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud,” the Georgia native said at the time. [jwplayer QviRYql5-zhNYySv2] Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters, meanwhile, alleged that Todd and Julie obtained more than $30 million in loans by lying about their income. “They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,” the lawyer said in court. The USA personalities aren't allowed to talk about the results of the trial or their upcoming October 6 sentencing, but they recently opened up about the aftermath of the verdict on an episode of their "Chrisley Confessions" podcast. “We wanted to let everyone know that it’s a very sad, heartbreaking time for our family right now,” Todd said on Friday, June 17. “But we still hold steadfast in our faith and we trust that God will do what he does because God’s a miracle worker — and that’s what we’re holding out for.” The second half of Chrisley Knows Best's ninth season is set to premiere on Thursday, June 23, but the trial won't be covered in the new episodes. Earlier this month, an insider confirmed to Us that filming was completed before the trial began, noting that production on season 10 also hasn't started yet. “They aren’t sure what this means for the future of Chrisley Knows Best and all their other projects that were in the works,” a source told Us after the conviction. “No one knows what’s going to happen or what to do at this stage.” Keep scrolling for more details on what the Chrisleys can expect from their sentencing later this year. [podcast_block]

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Todd and Julie Chrisley Fraud Case: Legal Expert Weighs In on Sentencing, Child Custody and More

What the future holds. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted of tax evasion and fraud earlier this month, but a lot of questions still remain — including how much prison time they could be facing. "It's pretty serious," Beverly Hills-based legal analyst Jeffrey W. Steinberger, who is not affiliated with the case, exclusively tells Us Weekly. "It's significant in two ways: one, it's an enormous [monetary] number, and significantly enormous numbers draw enormous jail time. Secondly, since they have been on the air and are famous personalities, most prosecutors tend to give heavier sentences to bank fraud and tax fraud cases in an effort to deter non-celebrity people from committing the same crimes." The Chrisley Knows Best star, 53, and his wife, 49, were convicted on charges of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy after a trial that concluded on June 7. After the duo's indictment in 2019, Todd denied the allegations against them in a lengthy statement, claiming that the charges stemmed from former employee Mark Braddock's attempt to get "revenge" on the couple. “He took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud,” the Georgia native said at the time. [jwplayer QviRYql5-zhNYySv2] Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters, meanwhile, alleged that Todd and Julie obtained more than $30 million in loans by lying about their income. “They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,” the lawyer said in court. The USA personalities aren't allowed to talk about the results of the trial or their upcoming October 6 sentencing, but they recently opened up about the aftermath of the verdict on an episode of their "Chrisley Confessions" podcast. “We wanted to let everyone know that it’s a very sad, heartbreaking time for our family right now,” Todd said on Friday, June 17. “But we still hold steadfast in our faith and we trust that God will do what he does because God’s a miracle worker — and that’s what we’re holding out for.” The second half of Chrisley Knows Best's ninth season is set to premiere on Thursday, June 23, but the trial won't be covered in the new episodes. Earlier this month, an insider confirmed to Us that filming was completed before the trial began, noting that production on season 10 also hasn't started yet. “They aren’t sure what this means for the future of Chrisley Knows Best and all their other projects that were in the works,” a source told Us after the conviction. “No one knows what’s going to happen or what to do at this stage.” Keep scrolling for more details on what the Chrisleys can expect from their sentencing later this year. [podcast_block]

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How Long Could the Chrisleys Be in Prison?

Todd and Julie could each face up to 30 years in prison, but Steinberger doesn't think they'll receive the maximum sentence because of the nature of their crimes. "On the tax evasion, it's generally not the full sentence. It's not a violent crime," he told Us. "They can get anywhere up to maybe 10 years, maybe 15 years, or maybe only 5. ... From the size of the money, it's going to be somewhat significant time."

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Who Will Get Custody of Grayson and Chloe?

Two of Todd and Julie's kids — Chase, 26, and Savannah, 24 — are grown, but the pair also have two minors at home: Grayson, 16, and Chloe, 9, the latter of whom is the daughter of Kyle Chrisley, Todd's son with ex-wife Teresa Todd. According to Steinberger, "the nearest relative" would get custody of Grayson and Chloe while Todd and Julie serve their time, or the judge may allow them to serve their time separately so one parent can care for the kids while the other is in prison. (The latter is what happened when Teresa and Joe Giudice were convicted of fraud in 2014.)

Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Will 'Chrisley Knows Best' Return?

"Generally, all of these entertainment contracts have a moral clause — crimes, especially, are a violation of the moral clause," Steinberger explains, adding that it's the producers' decision whether to execute any similar clause. "Many actors and actresses had crimes and served time in prison and ended up going back on TV." That said, Steinberger notes producers might not have to wait until the sentencing is carried out, "because the jury's already convicted them," adding, "The producers and the network can cancel them right away."

With reporting by Diana Cooper