The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah was arrested on March 30, 2021 along with her assistant for a telemarketing scam they spearheaded. ‘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,’ Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss noted in a press release. ‘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. Now, these defendants face time in prison for their alleged crimes.’
Jen faced up to 30 years in prison for the telemarketing scheme, to which she originally pleaded not guilty. Stuart also did as well, but he changed his plea to guilty in Nov. 2021. Jen followed suit in July 2022.
‘Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed,’ Jennifer’s lawyer said in a statement to People on July 11, 2022. ‘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.’
As part of her guilty plea, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star will reportedly have to return $9 million to the hundreds of victims she defrauded and an additional $6 million, per Page Six. She also faces up to 14 years in jail.
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