“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit telemarketing on July 11, 2022.
Shah appeared in court in New York City for a surprise hearing and changed her previous not guilty plea a week before she was due to stand trial. Despite facing a maximum of 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release, she demanded only 11 to 14 years behind bars and restitution of up to $9.5 million.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the key information about Jen Shah’s legal troubles.
Why Was the ‘RHOSLC’ Star Arrested?
The Bravolebrity was arrested on March 30, 2021 for allegedly defrauding hundreds of cashless people — particularly targeting people over 55 — through a telemarketing scheme that spanned six states.
She had initially denied the allegations and vowed to fight the charges.
Was Shah Arrested While Filming ‘RHOSLC’?
Shah was arrested while filming “RHOSLC” in an episode that aired on Bravo on November 7, 2021.
At the time of her arrest, she was with her co-stars and they were getting ready to leave on a cast trip to Vail, Colorado. However, after a phone call from an unnamed person, Shah claimed her husband, Sharrieff, was in the hospital with “internal bleeding” and had to leave.
Shah was shocked by the trip when Homeland Security, the New York Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed up to look for her. She was arrested off-camera.
What has Shah been accused of?
Shah was initially charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
When did she plead not guilty to wire transfer fraud?
During a video hearing on April 2, 2021, Shah pleaded not guilty to the two charges against her.
Prosecutors labeled her “at the highest level” of the fraud that earned her at least $5 million in “crime proceeds.”
In addition, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein, who presided over the entire case, agreed that Shah posed a flight risk and restricted her travel to Utah, parts of New York and Washington, DC, ordering her to surrender her passport.
Is the fraud process going ahead as planned?
Shah’s first trial — which had been moved several times since its original October date — was set to take place on July 18, 2022.
However, the trial has been canceled and she is awaiting a conviction after changing her plea to guilty on July 11, 2022.
Will Shah go to jail?
Shah, whose conviction is set in November 2022, faces up to 30 years in prison. In her plea, she asks for her sentence to be reduced to 11 to 14 years.
Shah’s sentence was reduced from the original maximum of 50 years after the US attorney agreed to drop the count of conspiracy to commit money laundering because of her plea deal.
What happened to the shah’s assistant, Stuart Smith?
Stuart Smith, Shah’s main assistant, was arrested on the same day as the reality TV star.
He was charged with conspiracy to commit telemarketing, one of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one of obstructing official proceedings. Initially, he pleaded innocent.
However, in November 2021, he changed his plea to guilty and even agreed to testify against Shah.
“I have knowingly and intentionally spoken to and involved other individuals in developing a plan or operation to obtain money by offering and soliciting individuals, many of whom were over 50 years of age or older, by misrepresenting to provide funds to entities that I and others were involved with,” Smith – who now awaits sentencing – said during his hearing.
What did Shah say about her trial and plea?
For months, the star “RHOSLC” vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“I am innocent…and looking forward to the trial so that you and everyone else can see the truth,” Shah first wrote on Instagram in March 2022.
During the season 2 reunion of “RHOSLC,” which aired that same month, Shah explained that she was not accepting a plea of guilt for being “innocent.”
‘I’m fighting this. I’m innocent,” Shah told reunion host Andy Cohen and her castmates. “And I will fight for any person who can’t fight for themselves because they don’t have the resources or the resources, so they don’t fight.”
“I’ll fight because No. 1, I’m innocent and No. 2, I’m going to represent f-king every other person who can’t fight and hasn’t been able to.”
Shah has yet to deal with her IOU.
What have Shah’s ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ co-stars said about her arrest?
While most of the cast was silent on social media, Shah’s arrest was a major storyline for Season 2 and every “RHOSLC” cast member had their theories.
Heather Gay, who has stayed with Shah, said in an episode: “All I can think about is” [Shah and Smith’s] families and how this will turn out like wildfire. I am absolutely impressed that Jen can be involved in this.”
Meredith Marks, who was arguing with Shah at the time of her arrest, claimed she had her suspicions about her former boyfriend.
“Too many things didn’t make sense,” she added. “And now it’s been confirmed that I was right [and] I’m not crazy. That’s the gist.”
Whitney Rose agreed with Marks’ statement, adding that she always wondered what Shah’s actual job was.
And as for Mary Cosby, she couldn’t believe Shah had been arrested, adding that her “heart is broken.”