Latest news with #MakeAmericaSafeAgain
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Trump to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley. Why were the reality show stars in prison?
Trump to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley. Why were the reality show stars in prison? Show Caption Hide Caption Trump set to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley President Trump called Savannah Chrisley from the Oval Office in the White House to tell her he wants to pardon her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. Former President Donald Trump stated his intention to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars convicted of tax evasion and fraud. The Chrisleys' daughter, Savannah Chrisley, confirmed the impending pardon on social media, expressing gratitude to Trump. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 12 and 7 years in prison, respectively, though their sentences were later slightly reduced. President Donald Trump said he plans to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley of "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, currently in prison for tax evasion and fraud. "It's a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope we can do it by tomorrow," Trump on May 27 told the couple's daughter, reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, with his "pardon czar," Alice Marie Johnson, next to him. The Chrisleys, who were depicted on their USA Network show as real estate tycoons in the South, were found guilty in June 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans, defraud the IRS and commit tax evasion. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley received a seven-year sentence. Their show ended when they began their respective sentences in January 2023. Savannah Chrisley, 27, who has been advocating for her parents' release in interviews, on her podcast and even onstage at the 2024 Republican National Convention, said she was "freaking out" in a video posted to Instagram. 'I have shed so many tears. The president called me personally as I was walking into Sam's Club and notified me that he was signing pardon paperwork for both my parents," she said, wearing a gold Make America Great Again cap. "So, both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow. And I still don't believe it's real." She added, "The fact that the president called me — I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way." Chrisley spoke at the RNC in July as part of the "Make America Safe Again" evening. Reality star Savannah Chrisley: "72600019, and 72601019. These may be just numbers to you, but to me, they're my whole heart. These numbers are my parents' identification numbers in our federal prison system." — The Recount (@therecount) July 17, 2024 "I'll never forget what the prosecutor said in the most heavily Democrat county in the state before an Obama-appointed judge. He called us the Trumps of the South," Chrisely said then, to boos from the crowd. "Now, hey, it's fun," she said. "He meant it as an insult. But let me tell you, boy, do I wear it as a badge of honor." Chrisley has been vocal about the treatment of her parents in prison, claiming they are being treated very poorly in the facilities. In an episode of her podcast, Savannah and her brother Chase claimed the couple had no air conditioning in either of their facilities and also said the prisons had "black mold, asbestos" and, in Julie's case, snakes "slithering on the floor." Who are Julie and Todd Chrisley? From 2014 to 2023, Todd and Julie Chrisley gained fame with their USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best," which followed their tight-knit, boisterous family and their lavish lifestyle in Atlanta and Nashville. By the show's eighth season it was drawing more than 2 million viewers and it inspired spin-offs such as "Growing Up Chrisley" and "According to Chrisley." Despite their legal troubles, the shows featuring the Chrisleys continued to air up until the couple was sentenced to prison. Prosecutors said the Chrisleys were driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities. Why are Julie and Todd Chrisley, reality TV stars, in prison? After a three-week trial, Todd Chrisley, 56, and Julie Chrisley, 52, were found guilty on all counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and tax evasion after prosecutors said they used falsified financial documents to secure more than $30 million in loans from community banks. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud and ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. The couple was first sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison, respectively, in November of 2022. In addition to their prison sentences, they each received an order of 16 months probation. In 2024, the Chrisleys were further ordered to turn over $30,000 held in an Alabama trust fund. Each Chrisley later had their prison time slightly reduced. In December 2023, the Palm Beach Post reported Julie Chrisley would be released from the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky on Sept. 4, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons site. She was reassigned there from the federal prison camp in Marianna, Florida in January 2023 for unknown reasons. Overall, her sentence was reduced by more than a year. In June 2024, her conviction was upheld on appeal, but the three-judge panel ruled her sentencing guidelines had been recalculated and remanded her case for resentencing. In September, the district court imposed the same term she was already serving. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Todd Chrisley, who is serving time at FPC Pensacola, described on its site as a "minimum security federal prison camp," will be released Nov. 23, 2032. Contributing: Christopher Cann, Jay Stahl, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley. Why were the reality show stars in prison?
President Donald Trump said he plans to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley of "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, currently in prison for tax evasion and fraud. "It's a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope we can do it by tomorrow," Trump on May 27 told the couple's daughter, reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, with his "pardon czar," Alice Marie Johnson, next to him. The Chrisleys, who were depicted on their USA Network show as real estate tycoons in the South, were found guilty in June 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans, defraud the IRS and commit tax evasion. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley received a seven-year sentence. Their show ended when they began their respective sentences in January 2023. Savannah Chrisley, 27, who has been advocating for her parents' release in interviews, on her podcast and even onstage at the 2024 Republican National Convention, said she was "freaking out" in a video posted to Instagram. 'I have shed so many tears. The president called me personally as I was walking into Sam's Club and notified me that he was signing pardon paperwork for both my parents," she said, wearing a gold Make America Great Again cap. "So, both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow. And I still don't believe it's real." She added, "The fact that the president called me — I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way." Chrisley spoke at the RNC in July as part of the "Make America Safe Again" evening. "I'll never forget what the prosecutor said in the most heavily Democrat county in the state before an Obama-appointed judge. He called us the Trumps of the South," Chrisely said then, to boos from the crowd. "Now, hey, it's fun," she said. "He meant it as an insult. But let me tell you, boy, do I wear it as a badge of honor." Chrisley has been vocal about the treatment of her parents in prison, claiming they are being treated very poorly in the facilities. In an episode of her podcast, Savannah and her brother Chase claimed the couple had no air conditioning in either of their facilities and also said the prisons had "black mold, asbestos" and, in Julie's case, snakes "slithering on the floor." From 2014 to 2023, Todd and Julie Chrisley gained fame with their USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best," which followed their tight-knit, boisterous family and their lavish lifestyle in Atlanta and Nashville. By the show's eighth season it was drawing more than 2 million viewers and it inspired spin-offs such as "Growing Up Chrisley" and "According to Chrisley." Despite their legal troubles, the shows featuring the Chrisleys continued to air up until the couple was sentenced to prison. Prosecutors said the Chrisleys were driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities. After a three-week trial, Todd Chrisley, 56, and Julie Chrisley, 52, were found guilty on all counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and tax evasion after prosecutors said they used falsified financial documents to secure more than $30 million in loans from community banks. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud and ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. The couple was first sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison, respectively, in November of 2022. In addition to their prison sentences, they each received an order of 16 months probation. In 2024, the Chrisleys were further ordered to turn over $30,000 held in an Alabama trust fund. Each Chrisley later had their prison time slightly reduced. In December 2023, the Palm Beach Post reported Julie Chrisley would be released from the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky on Sept. 4, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons site. She was reassigned there from the federal prison camp in Marianna, Florida in January 2023 for unknown reasons. Overall, her sentence was reduced by more than a year. In June 2024, her conviction was upheld on appeal, but the three-judge panel ruled her sentencing guidelines had been recalculated and remanded her case for resentencing. In September, the district court imposed the same term she was already serving. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Todd Chrisley, who is serving time at FPC Pensacola, described on its site as a "minimum security federal prison camp," will be released Nov. 23, 2032. Contributing: Christopher Cann, Jay Stahl, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Todd and Julie Chrisley get Trump pardon. Why they are in prison
UPI
22-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
U.S. blacklists two alleged high-ranking Cartel del Noreste members
May 22 (UPI) -- The United States has sanctioned two high-ranking members of the notorious Cartel del Noreste gang, as the Trump administration cracks down on transnational criminal organizations. The Treasury on Wednesday blacklisted Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, 40, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, 27. De Anda is accused of overseeing the procurement of guns and ammunition for the gang. Gonzalez, an alleged second-in-command of CDN, is currently in Mexican custody. He was arrested in February. "In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. Formerly known as Los Zetas, CDN is a notorious criminal organization based in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. It has been connected to human, drug and arms trafficking as well as money laundering and vehicle and oil theft. In February, the State Department designated CDN and seven other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and specifically designated global terrorists at the direction of President Donald Trump, who, on his first day in office, signed an executive order targeting the criminal organizations. Trump campaigned on securing the border from both criminal cartels and irregular migration. "The United States remains committed to protecting our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and degrading the ability of cartels to arm themselves, a critical step toward the total elimination of these organizations," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. "Today's action further demonstrates the Trump administration's unwavering commitment to protecting our local communities and the safety of the American people."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Treasury Department sanctions Mexican drug trafficking group members
The Treasury Department has sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Mexican drug trafficking group Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a transnational group formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed the sanctions Wednesday on the two members of CDN, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government. The U.S. has sanctioned Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who officials say resides in the border city Nuevo Laredo across the Rio Grande from Texas. The Treasury Department said he oversees the procurement of ammunition and guns for CDN, and is in charge of payments to straw purchasers and facilitators in the U.S. OFAC also slapped sanctions on Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who officials said also lives in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. He was the second-in-command of CDN before he was arrested by Mexican law enforcement in February, according to the Treasury Department. Gonzalez was chief of an armed enforcement wing of the cartel, benefiting from trafficked firearms used in attacks on the Mexican military and police, the Treasury Department said. 'In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump Administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 'CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping, and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border,' Bessent added. 'We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.' CDN was one of eight cartels and transnational organizations the Trump administration designated as terrorist groups earlier this year, along with other organizations the federal government has targeted such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13. The State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Wednesday that CDN 'uses violence to exert its criminal control and intimidate border communities and U.S. citizens, particularly in northeastern Mexico.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Treasury Department sanctions Mexican drug trafficking group members
The Treasury Department has sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Mexican drug trafficking group Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a transnational group formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed the sanctions on Wednesday on the two members of CDN, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government. The U.S. has sanctioned Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who officials say resides in the border city Nuevo Laredo across the Rio Grande from Texas. The Treasury Department said De Anda oversees the procurement of ammunition and guns for CDN, along with being in charge of payments to straw purchasers and facilitators in the U.S. OFAC also slapped sanctions on Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who officials said also lives in the Mexican state Tamaulipas. He was the second-in-command of CDN before he was arrested by Mexican law enforcement in February, according to the Treasury Department. Gonzalez was chief of an armed enforcement wing of the cartel, benefiting from trafficked firearms used in attacks on the Mexican military and police, the Treasury Department said. 'In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump Administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 'CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping, and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border,' Bessent added. 'We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.' CDN was one of eight cartels and transnational organizations the Trump administration designated as terrorist groups earlier this year, along with other organizations the federal government has targeted such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13. The State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Wednesday that CDN 'uses violence to exert its criminal control and intimidate border communities and U.S. citizens, particularly in northeastern Mexico.'
