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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Did President Trump Pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley? Everything to Know About Their Tax Fraud Case
Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of bank and tax fraud in 2022 They first reported to prison in January 2023 On May 27, 2025, President Trump pardoned the former reality TV starsTodd and Julie Chrisley are being released from prison after serving more than two years for tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy. On May 27, President Trump granted Todd and Julie a full pardon. "It's a terrible thing, but it's a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean," Trump told the couple's children via a phone call. "I don't know them, but give them my regards and wish them good luck." The Chrisleys first became household names in March 2014, when their USA Network reality TV series Chrisley Knows Best premiered. The show followed the wealthy, Southern-based family, including husband-and-wife Todd and Julie and their five children — Lindsie, Kyle, Chase, Savannah and Grayson — as they navigated their everyday lives. Chrisley Knows Best quickly became a fan favorite, running for 10 seasons and spawning spinoffs, including Growing Up Chrisley. But the road to fame and fortune for Chrisleys wasn't without its bumps: The family experienced multiple trials and tribulations over the years, including a $45 million bankruptcy filing and their estrangement at times from Kyle and Lindsie. Their biggest hurdle came in 2019, however, when Todd and Julie were indicted on federal charges of tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy. Todd and Julie were found guilty on all counts in June 2022 and were sentenced to a combined 19 years in federal prison. The legal drama was 'heartbreaking' for the entire Chrisley family. The ordeal was especially challenging for Todd and Julie's eldest daughter, Savannah, who took on the responsibility of raising her younger brother, Grayson, and her niece Chloe (whom the Chrisleys adopted in 2016) while her parents were in prison. From their reality TV beginnings to their time behind bars, here's a look at what happened to Todd and Julie Chrisley and where they are now. Born in Georgia and raised in South Carolina, Michael Todd Chrisley — who goes by his middle name, Todd — is a self-made real estate entrepreneur from humble beginnings. Growing up, his mother, Faye Chrisley, 'worked 60 hours a week in a textile mill to make sure we had everything we wanted and needed,' he wrote in a 2020 Instagram post. Todd married his high school girlfriend, Teresa Terry, and they welcomed two children together: Lindsie in 1989 and Kyle in 1991. Following their divorce, Todd wed a second time to fellow South Carolina native Julie Chrisley (née Hughes) in 1996, who worked at a local bank. 'She's the only woman who has ever literally touched my soul,' Todd said about Julie on a March 2022 episode of their podcast, Chrisley Confessions. The couple welcomed their first child together, Chase, a week after their nuptials. They went on to have two more children — Savannah in 1997 and Grayson in 2006 — and raised their growing family in the wealthy Atlanta suburb of Roswell. Over the years, the duo also weathered challenges, such as Julie's breast cancer diagnosis in 2012 and their ongoing estrangement from Todd's oldest son, Kyle. Todd and Julie rose to fame as the stars of their eponymous reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, which aired on the USA Network from 2014 to 2023. Billed as the southern version of the Kardashians, the series followed the over-the-top family as they lived their lavish lifestyle — first, in a 30,000-square-foot mansion in Atlanta; then, in two equally opulent Nashville homes — for 10 seasons. The popularity of the show resulted in a spinoff series, Growing Up Chrisley, that followed the lives of Chase and Savannah from 2019 to 2022. In August 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted by a federal grand jury for tax evasion and other financial crimes, according to court papers previously obtained by PEOPLE. They were charged with 12 counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that they hid their reality TV income from the IRS through their production company, 7C's Productions, and evaded nearly $2 million in state taxes from 2008 to 2016. Though the Georgia Department of Revenue cleared the Chrisleys of their $2 million state tax evasion charge in October 2019, their federal charges remained. The couple, who denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the charges, headed to trial in May 2022. 'We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of,' Todd wrote on Instagram in August 2019. '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 proves it.' He continued, 'We know that ... the truth will prevail and the charges against us will be exposed for the outrageous lies they are.' The Chrisleys' accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also implicated in their alleged financial crimes. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of willfully filing false tax returns. At trial, Tarantino's lawyer said that his client was not a criminal but an unqualified accountant who was 'in over his head' when it came to handling the Chrisleys' finances, according to Business Insider. The lawyer also noted that Tarantino had "failed the CPA exam many times over 20 years.' But the individual at the center of the federal case against Todd, Julie and Tarantino was Mark Braddock, the Chrisleys' former business partner. Braddock was fired by the Chrisleys in 2012 and later turned them into the FBI. He cooperated with the prosecution and testified against the Chrisleys during their 2022 trial in exchange for immunity for his involvement in their crimes, which included submitting fake documents to banks to exaggerate the Chrisleys wealth — in order to borrow more than $30 million to fund their affluent lifestyle. 'They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,' Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters told the jury in her opening statement, Business Insider reported. However, Todd's attorney, Bruce H. Morris, blamed Braddock for impersonating Todd and committing the fraud behind the couple's back. Todd also revealed on their Chrisley Confessions podcast that Braddock admitted to acting out of revenge while testifying at their trial. On June 7, 2022, after a three-week trial, Todd and Julie were found guilty of bank and tax fraud. The Chrisley Knows Best stars were convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud. Julie was also convicted of wire fraud. 'Both Chrisleys are devastated and disappointed with the verdict and will be pursuing an appeal,' Steve Friedberg, the Chrisleys' lawyer, told PEOPLE in a statement. 'Julie and Todd are so grateful for the love and support shown by their family, friends and fans. They both remain strong in their faith and will continue the 'fight' until they are vindicated.' The Chrisleys' accountant, Tarantino, was also found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns, per Business Insider. A federal judge handed down the Chrisleys' sentences in November 2022. Todd received 12 years in prison and 16 months probation, while Julie received seven years in prison plus 16 months probation. Meanwhile, their accountant, Tarantino, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. The former reality television stars began to serve their prison sentences on Jan. 17, 2023. Todd checked in to the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, while Julie reported to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky. In February 2025, Todd and Julie's legal team announced their intent to file a legal request for a presidential pardon. 'They believe that the president will seriously consider pardoning both Julie and Todd Chrisley as a result of the unfair treatment they received in the criminal justice system,' Jay Surgent, an attorney for the Chrisleys, told NBC News at the time. President Trump issued the couple's full pardon three months later. The couple are expected to be released from prison in the coming days. "[Trump is] always pleased to give well-deserving Americans a second chance, especially those who have been unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an unjust justice system," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement, per NBC News. The couple were initially sentenced to a combined 19 years behind bars, but received shortened prison sentences in September 2023. Todd's time behind bars was cut by nearly two years, with his release date pushed up to Jan. 22, 2033. Julie's sentence was reduced by 14 months, with her release date bumped up to Oct. 19, 2028. The Chrisleys appealed their convictions and hired new counsel in July 2023 in an attempt to reverse their prison sentences. The legal team argued that there was misconduct that occurred during the Chrisleys' original trial, but the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld their convictions in June 2024. However, the panel of three federal judges vacated Julie's seven-year prison sentence for tax evasion and bank fraud. The appellate court found that the original trial judge had miscalculated her sentence by holding her responsible for the entire bank fraud scheme, which began in 2006. The judges, though, found insufficient evidence to prove that she was involved before 2007. In a turn of events, Julie's original sentencing of 84 months or seven years was upheld in September 2024. A judge at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled that her original punishment was sufficient. Julie was also given five years of supervised release and over $4.7 million in restitution, USA Today reported. Following Todd and Julie's sentencing for their federal financial crimes, their three reality shows — Chrisley Knows Best, Growing Up Chrisley and Love Limo — were reportedly canceled. Episodes of season 10 of Chrisley Knows Best, which were filmed before the couple went to prison, aired in February 2023. However, in August 2023, the Chrisley family revealed that a new reality series was in the works. The Untitled Chrisleys Project was officially greenlit by Lifetime in May 2025 — just days before Todd and Julie were granted a presidential pardon. The show is slated to premiere later this year, and the family will be "exposing the raw truth of their lives — past and present." Todd and Julie's life behind bars was a 'nightmare,' according to their son Chase. In a July 2023 episode of his Unlocked podcast, which he hosts with his sister Savannah, Chase described the allegedly 'inhumane' conditions his parents faced in prison. 'They both have no air, no air conditioning,' he claimed. 'They're both in states where it gets 100-plus degrees, and there's no air conditioning.' Savannah added, 'I mean, air conditioning is the least of it whenever you've got black mold, asbestos and everything, lead-based paint, snakes.' Todd himself elaborated on the 'filthy' conditions in an interview on the news show Cuomo in November 2023. 'It is so disgustingly filthy. The food is literally, I'm not exaggerating — the food is dated, and it's out of date by, at minimum, a year,' he said. 'It's a year past expiration. And they are literally starving these men to death here. These men are getting — I don't know — they are getting a thousand calories a day." Adding to the Chrisleys' misery was their inability to regularly communicate with each other. The couple, who were in prisons 650 miles apart, were unable to write letters or speak on the phone to each other. The pair only communicated via email, but it was often 'delayed,' Savannah said. 'I miss Todd so much that it hurts. I've never gone this long without talking to him,' Julie wrote in a letter from prison sent to Savannah. Todd and Julie taught classes while incarcerated to shave time off their sentences, Savannah revealed in an October 2023 episode of the Unlocked podcast. The First Step Act (FSA) classes provide inmates with credits for 'an early release.' According to Savannah, her father taught financial classes ('how ironic,' she noted), while her mother taught a real estate course. In October 2024, Todd's attorney, Jay Surgent, told PEOPLE that the reality star was removed from his job as an Assistant to the Chaplain after he was found to be "associating with inmates" who are in the prison's Residential Drug Abuse Program. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Beloved Alabama Restaurant ‘Suspending Operations' After 15 Years
After more than a decade in business, popular Huntsville, Alabama restaurant 1892 East is shutting down. Located at 720 Pratt Avenue NE in the city's historic Five Points district, 1892 East was known for Southern-based favorites such as fried green tomatoes, crispy shrimp and grits, fried chicken and pork chops, as well as other seasonal items and local craft beers. The restaurant's proprietors announced its closure in a note to customers on the official 1892 East website. "We are going to miss you. After 15 years serving Huntsville and the neighborhood of Five Points, we are suspending operations," the note reads. "We have truly loved being a part of your celebrations, date nights, and happy hours. Thank you for making us a part of your lives. Sincerely, Chef Steve Bunner and Mike Burleson." In the wake of 1892 East announcing it was closing, one Google reviewer said the establishment was "my 1st choice for lunch since the day it opened." "I just read they are closing after 15 years. I have enjoyed dining alone and with groups. Not sure where my go to place will be now, but I wish the well. I for one will miss this place," they wrote. "Our cute little neighborhood spot is gone! We have loved loved 1892 East more than any other and we are truly so so sad to hear this," another social media user said, via 'Nice restaurant. Sad news," said a third person. No specific reason for the shutdown was provided, and none has been reported elsewhere as of Wednesday morning.
