The Real Reason RHOSLC's Jen Shah Was Arrested
Things aren't looking too good for Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah. The reality star was arrested in late March 2021 on federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a purported long-running telemarketing scam, per NBC New York. Jen and her assistant Stuart Smith were indicted out of Manhattan federal court.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss released a statement in the wake of the two Bravo stars' arrests. "Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on 'reality' television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah's 'first assistant,' allegedly generated and sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam," the statement reads, per NBC New York. "In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims' money."
The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Here's what else we know about Jen's arrest.
Jen Shah's alleged wire fraud scam ran for almost a decade
Jen Shah may boast a lavish lifestyle with her husband Sharieff Shah on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City as a "CEO of three marketing companies," but court documents paint a different story. Not only did the alleged wire fraud and telemarketing scam supposedly targets "hundreds" of victims — many over the age of 55 — but the court filing also claims the scam ran for nine years between 2012 and March 2021. Jen and Stuart allegedly managed "essentially non-existent" services and fight consumer efforts to obtain refunds.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said Jen and Stuart "allegedly generated and sold lead lists of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam." Of the hundreds of victims allegedly targeted, many were "vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said in a statement, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. In return, Shah and Stuart would receive a share of the allegedly fraudulent revenue those telemarketers generated for offering "essentially non-existent services."
Yikes, maybe all that glitters isn't gold.