The Real Housewives' spectacle of unearned wealth was all fun and games until Jen Shah defrauded the elderly.
But as more and more crimes have piled up, and now with the criminal charges [against ex-Housewives husband Tom Girardi](https://www.vox.com/2021/8/12/22620854/rhobh-erika-jayne-lawsuit-true-crime) and accusations of [religious abuse](https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a38320133/mary-cosby-church-rhoslc-cult-leader-cameron/) against [former RHOSLC cast member Mary Cosby](https://www.thedailybeast.com/rhoslcs-mary-cosby-is-accused-of-running-a-religious-cult-by-former-congregation-members), it seemed almost inevitable that the day would arrive when the money we loved to watch would come, in clearly criminal and unwilling form, from us. And it becomes a particularly heady game with producers: It seems like the editors’ intent is to show how much Shah was willing to put herself on camera in an effort to save her case. What I thought started out to be an investment in a company that I could pass on to my children if the business got off the ground successfully, ended up almost ruining ALL OF OUR LIVES,” one of the victims wrote to the presiding judge, asking for appropriate punishment for Shah. She talks often about how hard the trial is, how hard it is to fight against a system that she says is stacked against her. The legal advice she seems to have been given, as evidenced by how she approached her case on the show, was to keep reiterating, on camera, that she was innocent and reminding us that in the American justice system, people are innocent until proven guilty. The show soured for Shah in her second season when her March arrest was caught on tape. [ According to NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-star-jen-shah-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud-rcna37631), Shah agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and pay up to $9.5 million in restitution. But her time on the show slowly morphed into a weird, often bleak, look at the legal fight to keep her out of jail. If someone’s selling a business, it’s in their best interest to project an image that doesn’t tarnish the brand — and again, that isn’t really “real” behavior. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, this was “in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering.” Back in March 2021, Shah was arrested (during filming, and more on this in a bit) along with Stuart Smith, whom the show described as her “assistant.” The pair were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. [married her step-grandfather](https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a34930757/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-mary-cosby-grandfather-marriage/) and has a child by him).
SHAH previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “With today's ...
In addition to the prison term, SHAH, 49, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Sobelman, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution. She directed others to lie, she put businesses and bank accounts in the name of others, she required payment in cash, she instructed others to delete text messages and electronic documents, she moved some of her operations overseas, and she tried to put computers and other evidence beyond the reach of investigators. These individuals were lured in by false promises of financial security, but in reality, Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it. From at least 2012 until her arrest in March 2021, SHAH was an integral leader of a wide-ranging, nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that victimized thousands of innocent people. Stein to 78 months in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.
Shah, 49, had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. In addition to her prison stint, U.S. ...
Shah also intentionally sold contact information for those victims to others in the larger fraud ring. Victims of the fraud were convinced to invest in bogus business opportunities and spend money on services, such as web design help or tax preparation. The scheme lasted from 2012 until she and her assistant Stuart Smith were arrested in March 2021. "Jen has faith in our justice system, understands that anyone who breaks the law will be punished, and accepts this sentence as just.," Chaudry said in a statement. "With today's sentence, Jennifer Shah finally faces the consequences of the many years she spent targeting vulnerable, elderly victims. Stein also ordered her to pay more than $6.6 million in restitution and to forfeit $6.5 million, 30 luxury items and 78 counterfeit luxury items.
The 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star Jen Shah was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty for a telemarketing scam.
Ms. Shah, who appeared on “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced to more than six years in prison for her involvement in a telemarketing ...
Live coverage and latest updates on the sentencing of Real Housewives' Salt Lake City star Jen Shah for wire fraud.
Reality TV star Jen Shah was sentenced to 6-1/2 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to running a nationwide telemarketing scam that bilked ...
Shah initially denied the allegations after her arrest in March 2021 and sold merchandise attesting to her innocence. Shah, 49, began selling leads on people susceptible to scams to telemarketers around 2012 and later ran her own sales floor where underlings cold-called elderly victims offering bogus business opportunities, according to court documents. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story
Earlier this year, the reality star pleaded guilty to charges stemming from her alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme.
ABC News also reported that the judge questioned as to whether Shah was still selling "Free Jen" or "Justice for Chen" merchandise, but the judge was told the merchandise was taken down from her website and proceeds from prior sales would be used to pay restitution. [Real Housewives of Salt Lake City](https://www.etonline.com/tv/the-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city) star was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, plus five years of supervised release. The second count, conspiracy to commit money laundering, was dropped at the time. Jen's husband and children have been a great support system for her, and her family is with her today." Shah was seen arriving in court about 90 minutes ahead of her sentencing. Shah provided the 'leads' to many of the people involved in this crime, she certainly did not create, organize, control, or run this multi-pronged/multi-state conspiracy." "These individuals were lured in by false promises of financial security, but in reality, Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it. "Many of these co-defendants neither received their leads from Ms. After the sentence was handed down, the 49-year-old tearfully apologized to her husband, Sharrieff Shah, and her two sons, who, according to [ABC News](https://twitter.com/AaronKatersky/status/1611404815405568000), were seated behind her. "With today’s sentence, Jennifer Shah finally faces the consequences of the many years she spent targeting vulnerable, elderly victims," U.S. "While it is true that Ms. ABC News also reported that Judge Sidney Stein relayed he was "a little concerned" that the Housewives' manager was in the courtroom and warned her against trying to profit from her crime.