Jen Shah apologized to her family, victims and supporters after The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star pled guilty to fraud charges. Jen surprised many when she changed her tune and pled guilty early Monday morning. Jen has been in New York City ahead of her trial that was scheduled to kick off next week. For the past year, Jen professed her innocence in the telemarketing scheme she's been accused of running.
While Jen's co-defendants all pled guilty, Jen was the only one headed to trial after initially pleading not guilty in April 2021. Jen's legal case has become the center of her storyline on RHOSLC. Jen was arrested during filming for the show's second season. The Bravo star was accused of scamming elderly people into paying for shady services they never received. Jen's decision to join a popular reality show put more eyes on her in a case that authorities had been investigating for the last decade. Jen and her assistant, Stuart Smith, were booked on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If found guilty, Jen could face upwards of 30 years in prison.
Jen was set to begin her trial next week but threw a curve ball on Monday when she pled guilty. After changing her plea, an attorney for Jen released a statement on her behalf. "Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line,” the statement from Jen's attorney, Priya Chaudhry, read, according to ET. Jen “accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed," the attorney added. Additionally, Jen sent a personal apology to her husband Coach Sharrieff Shah, her two sons and other "family, friends and supporters" who have stuck by her throughout the embarrassing ordeal. "Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family," Priya said.
During Jen's scheduled hearing on Monday, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering was dropped. Along with the guilty plea, Jen agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and pay up to $9.5 million in restitution. Judge Sidney Stein warned Jen that she now faces up to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty. Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, blasted Jen after the hearing by reiterating her charges of targeting "vulnerable victims" with "false promises" that "defrauded" them out of their life savings.
Jen's guilty plea comes as The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season 3 is filming. Fans are going wild with questions about Jen's fate. The Bravo star could be headed to prison, possibly facing 30 years behind bars. Jen wouldn't be the first Real Housewives star to serve time in jail, but she'd be the first to receive such a lengthy sentence. She has been able to enjoy two full seasons on the show. But The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season 3 could potentially be her last. Her trial begins July 18, and her sentencing is scheduled for November 28.
Source: ET
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