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Chrisleys sentenced to combined 19 years in prison for tax fraud
Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have been sentenced to spend a combined total of 19 years in prison after the "Chrisley Knows Best" couple were convicted of fraud and tax evasion in Atlanta.
Savannah Chrisley, whose parents Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley received prison sentences on federal fraud and tax evasion charges, maintained the couple's innocence and discussed her mental health on an episode of her podcast, "Unlocked." The episode aired the day the Chrisleys received their sentence.
The episode, titled "By The Time You Hear This," is a roughly 50-minute monologue from Savannah Chrisley about how she's coping with the then-looming sentencing hearing held in Atlanta. She explains the episode was recorded before the sentencing hearing, which she said she would attend.
The reality TV stars were sentenced to spend a combined total of 19 years in prison after the couple was convicted of fraud and tax evasion. 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 the podcast, Savannah Chrisley said she has custody of her 16-year-old brother Grayson, and 10-year-old niece Chloe.
Savannah Chrisley defended her parents and said the Chrisleys' legal team plans to appeal the sentence.
"At the end of the day, if you've done something wrong, we all deserve to suffer the consequence for our actions," she said. "The unfortunate part is, there are times when we suffer the consequences for other peoples' actions that were not our fault, that we weren't liable for, but somehow we end up being the ones to take the fall."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 12: Todd and Savannah Chrisley visit SiriusXM Studios on June 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Savannah Chrisley said she interviewed her mother before she received her prison sentence for a future episode of "Unlocked."
Savannah Chrisley said she suffers from high-functioning depression and has been struggling with the criticism she's received on social media.
"I'm not in a place to receive the hatred and the negative comments," Savannah Chrisley said.
The timing of her parents' sentencing, three days before Thanksgiving, makes it particularly difficult.
"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."
Savannah Chrisley said she turned off comments on her parents' social media pages to protect them. She apologized to the family's supporters and fans of the show who weren't able to write supportive messages.
"For the people that have supported us over the years, we're extremely grateful," she said.
She said she wants to promote and support organizations that help children whose parents are incarcerated.
"I'm not going to give up fighting for my family," she said.