Jason Galanis Fights for Millions Meant for Fraud Victims

Jason Galanis, husband of Savannah Chrisley, is currently engaged in a legal battle to reclaim over $2 million that had been designated for victims of his past fraud schemes. Galanis is appealing a federal judge's ruling that denied his request to recover $2.17 million in confiscated assets. A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear the case on November 13.

Galanis' legal team, in an October 2025 court filing, argued that the government has no valid claim to the funds and that they "must be returned" to him. They further contended that there is "no recognized reason to give the funds to anyone else," despite the money's intended purpose of compensating fraud victims.

This legal dispute follows President Donald Trump's commutation of Galanis' prison sentence in March 2025. This action effectively relieved Galanis of any obligation to make further restitution payments to his victims. Galanis had been convicted in connection with two large-scale fraud schemes and was initially ordered to pay approximately $80.46 million in restitution. However, court documents from March 2026 revealed that he had only paid $1,824.84 toward this total while incarcerated.

Federal prosecutors reported that Galanis made approximately $2,524.84 in payments while in prison, with the initial $700 covering a mandatory court assessment. Meanwhile, the government had confiscated proceeds from the sale of properties in Los Angeles and Manhattan, resulting in approximately $2.17 million after deducting liens and other expenses. These funds were transferred to the Southern District of New York court clerk in January 2025 for victim distribution.

The funds had not yet been disbursed when Trump commuted Galanis' sentence on March 28, 2025. Subsequently, Galanis sought the return of the money, asserting that Trump's commutation meant the government could no longer legally distribute it to his victims. His attorneys also claimed the confiscated money originated from real estate purchased before the tribal bond fraud scheme and was not the direct product of criminal activity.

Federal prosecutors countered that the money had become government property well before the commutation and that the president's decision did not mandate the return of confiscated assets. In June 2025, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel denied Galanis' request, leading to his current appeal.

The financial dispute is linked to two complex fraud schemes that prosecutors estimate caused about $80 million in losses. Court documents indicate Galanis was involved in manipulating the stock of Gerova Financial Group between 2009 and 2011, enabling him and his associates to profit from stock sales while investors incurred substantial losses. Additionally, between 2014 and 2016, Galanis was involved in a scheme where a Native American tribal entity was persuaded to issue over $60 million in bonds. Instead of investing the funds as agreed, Galanis and his associates allegedly diverted millions for personal and business expenses.

In January 2020, Galanis pleaded guilty to seven federal felony counts related to these schemes. He was sentenced in September of the same year to 189 months in prison. It remains unclear if the $2.17 million has been distributed to victims.

Galanis and Savannah Chrisley secretly married on July 14 in the Cayman Islands, prior to publicly announcing their engagement and pregnancy. The couple is expecting their first child, and Galanis has relocated to Chrisley's Nashville home.