Savannah Chrisley taking custody of brother, niece as parents Todd & Julie prepare for prison
(L-R front) Faye Chrisley, Chloe Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Chase Chrisley (L-R Back row) Grayson Chrisley, Todd Chrisley and Nic Kerdiles pose during a personal appearance by Savannah Chrisley at Belk at Cool Springs Galleria Mall
ATLANTA - Savannah Chrisley, the eldest daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley, is taking custody of the Reality TV stars’ wards after the "Chrisley Knows Best" couple were sentenced to federal prison time for fraud and tax evasion in Atlanta on Monday.
"I have custody of a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old," Savannah Chrisley said during an episode of her podcast.
The "Growing Up Chrisley" star said she will be taking custody of her 16-year-old brother Grayson, and 10-year-old niece Chloe when her parents report to federal prison. The announcement was made on her podcast "Unlocked" just hours before the couple was sentenced.
Federal judge Eleanor Ross sentenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years behind bars. Julie Chrisley received 7 years.
In June, a federal jury convicted the Chrisleys of conspiring to defraud Atlanta banks. The couple and their accountant were found guilty of tax fraud.
TODD, JULIE CHRISLEY SENTENCED TO COMBINED 19 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FRAUD, TAX EVASION
Prosecutors said they defrauded banks out of more than $30 million of fraudulent loans.
During Monday’s podcast, Savannah Chrisley got emotional discussing the upcoming sentencing and the possibility her parents would be behind bars for the holiday season.
"And we serve our first Thanksgiving, not as a family," Chrisley said in her podcast fighting back tears. "I’ve never been away from my family for the holidays."
It was later learned the couple would not need to begin the sentence until Jan. 15, 2023. The 25-year-old will be taking on the responsibility as guardian once that happens and will have to deal with not only legal fallout of her parents, but also recent personal issues within the family.
Grayson Chrisley, the couple’s youngest son, was rushed to a Tennessee hospital after the Ford F-150 he was driving crashed into stopped traffic along Interstate 65. His condition was not immediately known.
TODD AND JULIE CHRISLEY'S SON GRAYSON HOSPITALIZED IN CAR CRASH ON NASHVILLE INTERSTATE
Todd and Julie Chrisley won custody of their grandchild, Chloe, in 2016 as their son struggled with drug addiction.
Savannah Chrisley is asking the public to show their family some compassion.
"So, I just ask that you show up and kind of understand where I’m coming from and have some grace for me and my family and stop with the negative comments because it hurts," Chrisley said.
Sketch of Todd, Julie Chrisley in federal court in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
The stars' attorneys vowed to continue to fight the conviction. Savannah Chrisley said the couple was convicted on "lies" and that she will not give up fighting for her family.
"If you’ve done something wrong, we all deserve to suffer the consequences of our actions, but the unfortunate part is there’s a lot of times to where we suffer the consequences for other people’s actions, that were not our fault, that we weren’t liable for, but we end up somehow being the ones to take the fall, which is really, really sad and disheartening," Chrisley said.
Lawyers for the Chrisleys claim an IRS officer falsely testified and the prosecution pushed her to do so.