Jen Shah, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Star, Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison For Fraud Case
Paul Dailly
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Jen Shah, the controversial star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, was sentenced to prison on Friday morning in New York.
The 49-year-old was sentenced to 78 months in prison for running a telemarketing scam that targeted elderly Americans.
Ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors wanted the judge to give Shah 10 years in prison.
"At the defendant's direction, victims were defrauded over and over again until they had nothing left," prosecutors shared in their sentencing submission.
"[Shah] 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," they wrote.
If you watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City online, you know Shah's arrest played out on-screen, with her co-stars left gobsmacked by the events.
In the current third season of the Bravo series, Shah has maintained her innocence.
However, the reality TV star accepted a plea earlier this year and admitted she had a part in the scam.
"From 2012 to March 2021 in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, I agreed with others to commit wire fraud," Shah said last year when she changed her plea.
"I did this by knowingly providing customer names to people who were marketing business services that had little or no value," she added.
Shah's defense said Shah should only receive about three years in prison because she was not the operation's leader.
"Ms. Shah's piece of the puzzle, though important, was not enough to carry out this fraud without these other crucial pieces controlled and directed by experienced criminals (who were not Ms. Shah)," her attorneys wrote.
"There is neither reason nor evidence to place Ms. Shah at the 'Godfather' or 'Kingpin' level of this fraud," they added.
Advisor guidelines call for Shah to serve 11 to 14 years for her part in the scam.
Shah currently appears on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
However, her time on the show is almost over. Shah was a no-show at the reunion taping in December.
"On September 14, 2022, I was informed by Bravo executives that I was not invited to attend the Season 3 reunion," she said on social media.
"I was disappointed because I would have no venue to confront inaccuracies and address my storyline with cast members."
"Out of nowhere, on November 29, two and a half weeks ago, I was invited to attend. I was elated to learn I would now have a voice at reunion."
"I was clear with Bravo that out of respect for the courts and standing judicial order, I would not be in a position to discuss anything related to my legal case or sentencing."
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
