Todd Chrisley has been in prison for well over a year now due to his guilty bank fraud verdict, which was handed down to him, his wife, Julie and their accountant, Peter Tarantino. Since reporting to prison in early 2023, reports and rumors have swirled around Todd’s time behind bars. Amid his stint, it was confirmed that he’d found a job within his facility’s chapel, but it seems he’s now formally lost that position. After one of his lawyers, Jay Surgent, broke the news, the attorney also shared how his client allegedly feels about losing the gig.
In early January 2023, Todd Chrisley reported to Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida. For the bulk of that time, the ex Chrisley Knows Best star has served as an assistant to the chaplain at the facility. News of Chrisley’s ousting dropped days ago and, while talking to TODAY, Jay Surgent said that the father of five is “disappointed and emotionally offended” over losing the position. The lawyer also said that the job was a “big part” of Chrisley’s life and gave him the “ability to participate in his faith and to help other people with their faith.”
As for why this all happened, Mr. Surgent believes it can be attributed to the Chrisley patriarch “communicating with people that had been admitted into” the Residential Drug Abuse Program at the prison. Apparently, those who are part of the RDAP are allowed “access to the outside.” Still, Surgent said Chrisley “always represented to the administration” how he “was doing an exemplary job in his position,” which reportedly allowed him to connect with many fellow inmates. On those personal bonds, Jay Surgent said:
They also look for him to discuss their particular situations or any emotional problems they may be having and coordinate the religious services some of these inmates would attend.
The Legal Move Julie Chrisley Just Made After Hitting Setback In Her Resentencing Hearing
In 2022, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for financial-related offenses, while Julie Chrisley was ordered to serve seven years at Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. By November 2023, Mr. and Mrs. Chrisley’s sentences were reduced by two years and 14 months, respectively. All the while, the two have sought to appeal their case, and their oral arguments were heard this past April. A federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled that Todd’s sentence would remain unchanged, though Julie’s was overturned. That was due to a ruling that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove she was aware of the legal-based offenses. Still, upon resentencing, Julie’s original seven-years were reinstated, much to Todd’s alleged disdain.
The couple’s daughter, Savannah Chrisley, has been advocating on their behalf, claiming that they’ve suffered poor living conditions while in prison, including a lack of air conditioning. Via his lawyer, Todd claimed the prison’s food was substandard and not worthy of consumption as well. Savannah even alleged that her mother found snakes in her cell. (Many of the claims have been denied by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.)
Although Todd Chrisley reportedly hasn’t been happy behind bars, his daughter, Lindsie, claimed that both he and his wife had been “welcomed with open arms.” Per a report that surfaced over a year ago, Chrisley also believed there to be a good reason why he was sent to prison. He apparently thought that he’d been granted an opportunity to connect with inmates and potentially help to improve their lives behind bars.
Whether the 55-year-old businessman will strive to do that now that he’s lost his chaplain job remains to be seen. Also, as of this writing, Federal Prison Camp has yet to provide further details on the reasoning for Todd Chrisley’s firing.