Jen Shah's Legal Troubles Just Got Much Worse
While it's true that unexpected criminal investigations can come from some pretty unlikely places, it's safe to say that the "Real Housewives" multiverse is decidedly one of the more unforeseen sources for allegedly illegal activities that is, with time, proving more and more to actually be the case. Aside from the ongoing saga of Erika Jayne and the activities of her soon-to-be ex-husband, attorney Tom Girardi, a number of recent reports have indicated that Jen Shah, another Bravo reality star from another "Real Housewives" spinoff, is, by all appearances, finding herself further embroiled even further in a federal case.
Shah, who is best known as part of the cast of the Bravo reality show "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" (or RHOSLC, for short), made headlines earlier this year for purportedly running a telemarketing scam on a national level for nearly a decade, between 2012 and 2021. Shah, who was arrested in March by federal officials for her role in the supposed long con, was also recorded being taken by members of the FBI in front of her fellow RHOSLC cast members and crew. Now, however, it looks like Shah won't be able to extricate herself as easily from possible charges of fraud — charges that could lead to some serious ramifications for the reality star. So what's going on? Scroll down to find out.
Jen Shah faces an even harsher sentence if convicted
As the gossip site TMZ reported on July 23, Jen Shah's alleged role in a years-long telemarketing scheme has her grouped with at least five other purported conspirators in a major fraud case, in which all six, per the FBI's case, used the phone-based scam to target and fleece senior citizens nationwide out of their money. According to official documents and affidavits obtained by TMZ, Shah, along with her co-defendants, were "responsible for orchestrating the broader scheme" — meaning, in short, that they ran the circus. In addition to this, the documents stated Shah was the point person for "[obtaining] leads directly from lead sources and provided them to, among others, coaching sales floors operated in Utah and Nevada." This, along with already serious charges of fraud, have placed Shah and her cohorts in a "Tier A" class, which could result in harsher sentences if any or all are ultimately convicted.
Despite the weighty accusations and a possible prison sentence — one which, prior to the updated affidavit, could have potentially landed Shah behind bars for up to 30 years — Shah's lawyer is standing behind her client. In an exclusive statement to TMZ, attorney Priya Chaudry called Shah "totally innocent," and further said the charges against her are "absurd." Chaudry concluded by calling the government's most recent decision to categorize Shah as a "Tier A" defendant, "just their latest made-up allegation, and like all others, totally unsupported by evidence."