The jury in the fraud trial of Todd and Julie Chrisley have begun deliberating
- Jurors in the bank fraud trial of Todd and Julie Chrisley have begun deliberations.
- They heard nearly three weeks of testimony in the case.
The Atlanta federal jury in reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley's bank and tax fraud trial began deliberations Friday afternoon after nearly three weeks of testimony from prosecution and defense witnesses.
The celebrity couple, who found fame in 2013 when USA Network picked up their reality show "Chrisley Knows Best," are accused by federal prosecutors of running a yearslong scheme defrauding banks. Prosecutors say they, with the assistance of a former business partner, manipulated financial records making it appear that they were wealthier than they were to apply for more than $30 million in loans, which they spend on a luxury lifestyle they couldn't afford.
When the banks caught on to them, the Chrisleys filed for bankruptcy, walking away from $20 million in debt. The couple went on to hide money from the IRS, with the help of their former accountant Peter Tarantino, prosecutors say.
Tarantino is also charged in the conspiracy.
All three defendants have denied the charges. If they're convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison.
Jurors got the case around 2 p.m. on Friday and will deliberate until at least 5 p.m. before leaving for the weekend.
In the two weeks a man and a woman have been dismissed from the jury.
The man didn't return to hear the case on May 23, after notifying the court that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
On Friday, a woman on the jury was dismissed after she appeared to be fighting sleep during Assistant US Attorney Thomas Krepp's closing argument. Judge Eleanor Ross told the woman she had been watching her struggle to stay awake throughout the whole trial, and felt it impaired her ability to find the case.
The juror denied that she was sleeping and the three defense attorneys objected her dismissal.
A jury of 12 and two alternates remain.