We definitely didn’t expect to write this sentence: Julie Chrisley‘s prison sentence has been thrown out! WHAT?!
The Chrisley Knows Best alum actually made a successful appeal to a federal judge on Friday. The judge ordered a lower court to throw out the six-year prison sentence she’d been given after being convicted in June of 2022 on multiple counts of bank fraud and tax evasion. Now, she must be resentenced by the court after they re-consider new information in her and husband Todd Chrisley‘s case!
Related: Todd & Julie Score $1 Million Settlement In Lawsuit Alleging Misconduct In Fraud Search!
According to legal documents obtained by ET on Monday, a federal appeals judge ruled that the lower court judge involved in the Chrisley fam’s case miscalculated Julie’s sentencing. Basically, they held her accountable for her role in the entire bank fraud and tax evasion scheme for which she, Todd, and their accountant Peter Tarantino were convicted. But as federal prosecutors themselves proved in court during the couple’s initial trial, Julie’s involvement in the scheme only first began in 2006 — years after Todd and Tarantino were proven to be in on it. Thus, Julie now must be resentenced based on only being active for part of the time the scheme was happening! (FYI, based on this decision, neither Todd nor Tarantino will have their prison sentences thrown out or altered in any way.)
The federal appeals judge wrote this of the decision to vacate Julie’s prison sentence and have a lower court meet to resentence her based on the new guidelines:
“We must vacate Julie’s sentence so the district court can address the narrow issue of what the proper loss amount attributable to Julie is for purposes of the base offense level, restitution, and forfeiture. The district court should make factual findings about when Julie’s involvement in the conspiracy began, and if it concludes Julie’s involvement started in 2006, it should identify the evidence on which it bases its finding. In vacating and remanding on this issue, we express no opinion as to what the correct loss amount should be.”
And the decision went on:
“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.”
That’s HUGE. That could severely reduce Julie’s prison sentence, which had originally been seven years but was shortened to six after she began serving in early 2023. She had been serving time at Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky; it’s not yet clear if she will be transferred somewhere else, or when.
Julie’s family has reacted, too. For one, Chrisley family attorney Alex Little told the Associated Press that the couple is “hopeful for more good news in the future” regarding other pending appeals, and added:
“We’re pleased that the Court agreed that Julie’s sentence was improper, but we’re obviously disappointed that it rejected Todd’s appeal.”
Their daughter Savannah Chrisley has already spoken out about the resentencing, as well. Over the weekend, the Sassy by Savannah mogul took to her Instagram account to read off key parts of the decision. Calling the successful appeal a “little win,” she told her followers:
“I hope and pray that the judge can send her home. I am a firm believer that she will be coming home sooner rather than later.”
Well, based on this judge’s decision, it definitely sounds like Julie is going to be coming home sooner rather than later — the question just remains as to how soon it will be. Obviously, her conviction hasn’t been thrown out. Julie is still on the hook for the bank fraud and tax evasion claims that federal prosecutors successfully proved in court. But with these new sentencing guidelines to take into consideration, it sure seems like her prison time is going to be cut down — and maybe even significantly! Reactions, y’all?? Surprised?! Share your thoughts (below)!
[Image via MEGA/DJDM/WENN]
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