Jen Shah's Prison Sentence Is Finally Clear
Jen Shah has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison on January 6, as reported by Page Six. "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star was arrested in March 2021 and was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing, per People.
Shah had initially proclaimed her innocence and faced up to 30 years maximum in prison, but she changed her plea to guilty in July 2022. Per her plea agreement, she was looking at 11 to 14 years in prison with restitution of up to $9.5 million, according to Page Six. "She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed. Ms. Shah is also sorry for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends and supporters. Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family," her lawyer, Priya Chaudhry said at the time.
While Shah was initially supposed to receive her sentence on November 28, 2022, it was pushed back twice, with the second request coming on Shah and her lawyer's part, per Newsweek. Prior to the sentencing date, Shah did everything she could to reduce her prison time.
Jen Shah asked for a reduced prison sentence
As reported by NBC News, the Justice Department believed Jen Shah deserved 10 years in prison for her telemarketing scheme that reportedly targeted the elderly. "At the defendant's direction, victims were defrauded over and over again until they had nothing left. She and her co-conspirators persisted in their conduct until the victims' bank accounts were empty, their credit cards were at their limits, and there was nothing more to take," the U.S. Attorney New York's Southern District wrote.
A month before her sentencing, Jen Shah asked the judge to reduce her 11 to 14 year sentence to only three years, per CNN. "The terrible business decisions I made and professional relationships I developed stemmed from some personal painful experiences that I was going through in my life," Shah wrote in a letter to the judge. She also submitted letters from family and friends in support of her case, although there were none from any of her fellow "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" cast members.
With Shah's six years ahead of her in prison, it's uncertain what her future looks like. However, Shah confirmed to the judge during her sentencing hearing she presently remains a part of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" cast, per Inner City Press.