Chrisleys under fire: More reality stars charged with tax evasion
Apparently Todd Chrisley does not know best.
The USA Network reality star of “Chrisley Knows Best” and his wife Julie were indicted on federal tax evasion charges Tuesday.
The Southern charmers were charged by a federal grand jury in Atlanta with multiple counts of conspiracy, bank fraud and tax evasion.
U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said the couple "conspired to defraud numerous banks" from at least 2007 to 2012 by giving them false information and faked bank statements while applying for loans, predating their family’s Nashville-based show, which premiered in 2014.
“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,” Pak said. “Celebrities face the same justice that everyone does. These are serious federal charges and they will have their day in court.”
Several other reality stars have been caught evading taxes or in shady dealings for money issues including “The Jersey Shore’s” Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, who all served jail time for it.
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino from "The Jersey Shore" served eight months in prison and was ordered to 500 hours community service, and to pay $123,913 in restitution following tax evasion charges.
Housewives' husband Joe Giudice is now facing deportation following the completion of his 41-month prison sentence for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud, which ended in March. Teresa pleaded with her Instagram fans to sign a petition preventing Joe's deportation. For now, Joe will remain in the U.S. during his legal dealings.
The Chrisley patriarch blamed the whole situation on a former employee who he said created phony documents, forged their signatures and bugged their home. The employee, Chrisley wrote on Instagram, took phony documents to the feds and accused them of financial crimes after he was fired.
"We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of," Chrisley wrote.
The family has gone through its share of challenges, like the couple’s 2012 bankruptcy filing for over $49.4 million in debt, allegedly not paying son Kyle’s drug rehabilitation center, and sexual harassment accusations against Todd Chrisley from three former employees.
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The loveable gaggle of blonde Southerners with good family values and even better drama graced USA Network for seven seasons with a revolving cast of Chrisley’s five children and two grandchildren, and of course, mother Nana Faye.