Jen Shah was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to committing wire fraud in a telemarketing scheme targeting senior citizens.
Shah arrived in federal court in New York on Friday for his sentencing before US District Court Judge Sidney Stein.
She entered the courtroom around 9:50 am and was briefly seated in the gallery alongside some family and friends, including her husband, Sharrieff Shah, an assistant football coach at the University of Utah, and their two children, Sharrieff Shah Jr.
The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star wore an all-camel outfit and showed off a pantsuit, leopard print camel collar top and leopard print poncho coat with stiletto heels.
Judge Stein took office around 10:30 am to begin the sentencing hearing, while Shah sat between his two attorneys at the defense table.
The courtroom was packed with “Real Housewives” fans as they anxiously awaited the results of Shah’s sentencing.
The reality star appeared to have a serious demeanor and appeared tense ahead of her sentencing. She looked back at her husband, who was sitting in the gallery, just before the sentence began.
The Justice Department initially requested a decade behind bars for the star of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” Her legal team requested a three-year sentence, previously calling Shah “an exceptional mother and a good woman who has already been punished extensively as a result of the sins of her past”.
She originally faced up to 50 years in prison.
Shah and his longtime assistant, Stuart Smith, were “each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing by which they victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years,” the Justice Department said in a statement published at the time of their arrests.
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Jen Shah was convicted in the federal fraud case on Friday.
(Angry)
“The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.”
They used third-party names for their business entities, according to the initial accusation. Shah and Smith allegedly told victims to use encrypted messages as a means of communication and instructed users to send payments to offshore accounts.
Jennifer Shah arrives in federal court in New York, Friday, January 6, 2023. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for the “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” member.
(AP)
She initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2021. A year later, Shah pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal where the money laundering charge was dropped. She agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and also pay restitution of up to $9.5 million.
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Bravo cameras were rolling when authorities entered the “Housewives” production looking for Shah. Minutes before Homeland Security arrived at the Beauty Lab parking lot, Shah received a call from an unknown person and abruptly left the footage.
Shah was arrested on her way home on March 30, 2021. She, along with co-conspirator and former friend Stuart Smith, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering .
“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah pleaded guilty in July to “putting this ordeal behind her,” according to her attorney.
(Chad Kirkland/Bravo)
Manhattan U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businesswoman on ‘reality television,’ and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah’s ‘first assistant’, have reportedly spawned and sold ‘name lists’ of innocent individuals to other members of their scheme to traffic over and over again.
“In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed to the victims by Shah, Smith and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal the victims’ money. for his alleged crimes”.
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Prior to July’s guilty plea, Shah spent over a year professing his innocence on “RHOSLC”, even using the catchphrase during season two of his introduction on “Housewives”: “The only thing I’m guilty of is being Shah -mazing”.
Her attorney, Priya Chaudhry, confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time that Jen’s guilty plea was due to Shah’s desire to move on with her life and “put this ordeal behind her”.
Shah was arrested in March 2021 and charged in the national telemarketing scheme.
(Rick Bowmer)
“Ms Shah is a good woman who has crossed the line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and apologizes deeply to all who have been harmed,” Chaudry said. “Ms Shah also regrets letting down her husband, children, family, friends and supporters.
“Jen pleaded guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family.”
Jennifer is married to Sharrieff Shah, the special teams coordinator for the University of Utah football team. The couple has two kids.
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