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Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley report to federal prison

The two "Chrisley Knows Best" reality TV stars were sentenced to years in federal prison for tax evasion and bank fraud.

WASHINGTON — Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality TV stars from "Chrisley Knows Best," have reported to their assigned federal prisons to begin their yearslong sentences, according to CNN, Fox News and multiple media outlets. 

The couple was sentenced in November for bank fraud and tax evasion crimes. A U.S. District Judge gave Todd Chrisley 12 years in prison, while his partner Julie Chrisley received seven years behind bars.

Alex Little, the couple's attorney, confirmed to CNN that the couple reported to their designated prisons in Florida and Kentucky before the noon deadline on Tuesday. 

Todd Chrisley reported to FPC Pensacola, a minimum-security facility in Pensacola, Florida, according to CNN. Julie Chrisley reported to FMC Lexington in Kentucky.

The Chrisleys gained fame with their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which follows their tight-knit, boisterous family. The couple was found guilty in June on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. 

Federal prosecutors said the couple engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle.

Prosecutors have said the Chrisleys submitted fake documents to banks and managed to secure more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Once that scheme fell apart, they walked away from their responsibility to repay the loans when Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy. 

Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
FILE - Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

While in bankruptcy, they started their reality show and “flaunted their wealth and lifestyle to the American public,” prosecutors wrote, and then hid the millions they made from the show from the IRS.

Peter Tarantino, 60, an accountant hired by the couple, was also found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and willfully filing false tax returns.  

The Chrisleys have three children together, including one who is 16, and also full custody of the 10-year-old daughter of Todd Chrisley's son from a prior marriage.

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