ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First/AP) – Atlanta-based reality TV star Julie Chrisley is appealing a seven-year prison sentence handed down last month.
On Sept. 25, a federal judge resentenced Chrisley to seven years for her conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, declining her request for less time in prison than was originally imposed.
The judgement came down after an appeals court vacated her original sentence from 2022.
Julie Chrisley’s attorney, Alex Little, asked the judge to reduce his client’s sentence to no more than five years. He argued that she was a minor player in the crimes, that her “scattered offenses” were “dramatic mistakes.” He also noted that she has behaved well and taken advantage of enrichment opportunities during her 20 months in prison so far, receiving more than 70 certificates.
Federal prosecutor Annalise Peters urged the judge to reimpose the seven-year sentence. She argued that prosecutors had been conservative in charging the Chrisleys, that Julie Chrisley was a “core part” of a fraudulent scheme and that she had not apologized, shown remorse or admitted wrongdoing.
RELATED: Reality TV star Julie Chrisley re-sentenced in bank fraud and tax evasion case
Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, gained fame on their show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle.
A jury in 2022 found them guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings.
Todd Chrisley is currently serving a 12-year federal prison sentence.
Julie Chrisley is appealing her resentencing term to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown Atlanta.
A three-judge panel of the same court in June upheld the Chrisleys’ convictions but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.
