Todd and Julie Chrisley Turn Themselves In After Tax Evasion and Fraud Indictment

UPDATE: A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office confirms to E! News that Todd and Julie Chrisley plead not guilty today during their arraignment. They were each subsequently released on $100,000 unsecured appearance bonds. Additionally, their travel will be restricted to the Atlanta area and parts of Tennessee. However, the TV stars can travel to California to tape their reality show as long as they notify their probation officers beforehand.

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Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley have turned themselves in after being indicted on multiple counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia said the two self-surrendered on Wednesday.

According to the office’s press release, the Chrisley Knows Best stars have been accused of conspiring to defraud several banks by allegedly providing falsified information while applying for millions of dollars in loans. They’ve also been accused of using the proceeds obtained from these loans for personal benefit. This allegedly took place from as early as 2007 through approximately 2012. 

In addition, the two have been accused of using fabricated bank statements and credit reports to apply for and obtain a lease for a home in 2014.

Furthermore, the TV stars have been charged with conspiring with accountant Peter Tarantino to defraud the International Revenue Service. Tarantino has also been indicted on tax-related offenses. The Chrisleys allegedly did not file income tax returns for the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 tax years in a timely manner or pay federal income taxes for these years. Along with Tarantino, they’ve also been accused of trying to hinder the IRS’s collection attempts, such as by allegedly hiding income and lying to third parties.

When The Los Angeles Times attempted to contact Tarantino, a woman at his office said he was with a client and had no comment on the indictment.

“Todd and Julie Chrisley are charged not only with defrauding a number of banks by fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in loans, but also with allegedly cheating taxpayers by actively evading paying federal taxes on the money they earned,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said in the press release. “Celebrities face the same justice that everyone does.  These are serious federal charges and they will have their day in court.” 

The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS.

News of the federal grand jury’s indictment broke earlier this week.

“The reality of this indictment is that the FBI takes allegations of bank fraud and wire fraud very seriously and devotes many resources to protecting the institutions and citizens affected by those crimes,” Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, also said via the press release. “The Chrisleys’ will now have their day in court, but anyone else considering this type of alleged activity should take notice.”

Todd also shared an Instagram post this week in which he told his followers “Julie and I are going to be named in a federal indictment charging us with tax evasion and probably a lot of other financial crimes, as well.” Still, he insisted they “have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of.” His attorney also stated that “the allegations contained in the indictment are based on complete falsehoods.”

“The Chrisleys are innocent of all charges,” the attorney continued.

Meanwhile, the celebrities’ son, Chase Chrisley, is facing his own legal battles. The IRS filed a federal tax lien against him over an unpaid balance of $16,886.64 for the 2014 tax period.

(This story was originally published on Wednesday, Aug 14, 2019 at 12:36 p.m. PST.)