Todd Julie Chrisley $1M settlement 2019 lawsuit tax official

Chrisley family settles lawsuit with former Georgia tax official, as Todd and Julie Chrisley serve prison sentences for bank fraud.

The legal team representing the Chrisley family has recently announced a settlement in their case. According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, both the Chrisleys and Joshua Waites, the former director of the Georgia Department of Revenue's office of special investigations, have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice on Jan. 4. This settlement comes after the Chrisleys notified the court of their decision to settle on Sept. 13, 2023.

The family's lawyer, Alex Little, expressed optimism about the settlement, stating that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had significant issues. Little also noted the rarity of one arm of the government paying money to defendants while another arm is fighting to keep them in jail.

Currently, Julie and Todd Chrisley are serving prison sentences for bank fraud and tax evasion. Todd Chrisley has an anticipated release date of Nov. 23, 2032, from FPC Pensacola in Florida, while Julie's release from FMC Lexington in Kentucky is set for Aug. 20, 2028.

According to Little, an Atlanta federal appeals court will hear oral arguments in the Chrisleys' case in April. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, celebrated this development in November, calling it "one step closer to getting mom and dad home."

The legal battle began in October 2019 when Todd and Julie Chrisley sued Waites, accusing him of abusing the power of his office to pursue false tax evasion claims against them. The lawsuit also alleged that Waites targeted Todd Chrisley's estranged daughter, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, in an effort to obtain compromising information about her family.

The lawsuit was filed after the Chrisleys were indicted on charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. In June 2022, after a three-week trial, a jury found Todd and Julie Chrisley guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans, defraud the IRS, and commit tax evasion. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of obstruction of justice.

Following their convictions, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley received a seven-year sentence, though both have since been reduced by at least two years and one year, respectively.

U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan commented on the case, stating that over the course of a decade, the defendants defrauded banks out of tens of millions of dollars while evading payment of their federal income taxes.

In light of these developments, Savannah Chrisley has shared an "amazing" update on her parents' appeal case, expressing hope for a positive outcome.