Todd and Julie Chrisley of ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ sentenced to prison for fraud
The sisters made millions, spending it on designer clothes, jewelry and other expensive items that they never sold. One brother has died, but the other is still behind bars, facing prison for nearly two decades for defrauding the family and its estate out of more than $50 million.
In this courtroom sketch, the sisters were led in handcuffs to prison court on a Friday afternoon in April 2019. Their lawyer, Stephen Jaffe, left, pleaded for leniency and asked a judge to consider the effects of the family’s financial crises. Julie Chrisley was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while her sister, Susan Chrisley, was sentenced to 21 years. (Kent Nishimura/The Tennessean via AP)
A man is taken out of a courtroom during the sentencing hearing for their sister, Julie Chrisley, and her brother in Knox County Criminal Court for fraud. The brothers pleaded guilty, but the sisters were sentenced to prison terms of 20 and 21 years, respectively. (Kent Nishimura/The Tennessean via AP)
A man stands with his hands folded as he arrives at a courtroom during the sentencing hearing for their sister, Julie Chrisley, and her brother in Knox County Criminal Court for fraud. The brothers pleaded guilty, but the sisters were sentenced to prison terms of 20 and 21 years, respectively. (Kent Nishimura/The Tennessean via AP)
A family attorney sits with the Chrisley sisters during a Friday afternoon sentencing hearing in Knox County Criminal Court for fraud. The sisters pleaded guilty, but their brother pleaded not guilty and his case will be tried by an out-of-state jury. (Kent Nishimura/The Tennessean via AP)
The brother of the family scion who ran a chain of boutiques is walking free from jail — the second relative he had imprisoned for fraud.
For years, Stephen C. Chrisley served as chairman of Chrisley Motors and oversaw the family’s business, Chrisley Knows Best. It was the third-most profitable business in the family, with $2.7 million in sales during the 2015 fiscal year.
He had plenty of help.
An investment from his brother, Robert, helped the business, along with a sizable retirement check from his wife, Julie. The money was used not only to