RHOSLC Star Jen Shah Pleads Guilty to Telemarketing Fraud, Faces Up to 14 Years Behind Bars and $9 Million in Restitution as Sentencing Date Revealed

by Lindsay Cronin Comments
0 comment

REPORT: RHOSLC Star Jen Shah to Plead Guilty to Telemarketing Fraud, Faces Up to 30 Years Behind Bars and $9.5 Million in Restitution

Jen Shah is reportedly changing her plea from not guilty to guilty over a year after being arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering.

According to a series of updates shared on social media, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member, who is accused of running a years-long telemarketing scheme (with former assistant Stuart Smith, who already changed his plea to guilty) that supposedly targeted the elderly, will plead guilty to the crimes.

“Breaking, and we mean real breaking, [Jen Shah] is going to plead guilty right now. In a surprise move, Jen Shah has snuck into court to plead guilty with the Court giving one minutes notice on the docket. We have been saying this for a year, no defenses,” attorney Ronald Richards announced on July 11, also sharing a court document in which the change of plea was confirmed.

Ronald later shared the guideline stipulation for Jen’s guilty plea, which includes up to 168 months in prison, forfeiting $6 million, and $9 million in restitution.

Ronald added: “Jen Shah is pleading guilty to count 1, conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The govt will dismiss the money laundering count. This will slightly mitigate her exposure but not by much. She is facing a substantial sentence. ”

Ronald then pointed to a different Twitter page, which reported the same news.

“A week before her trial’s start date, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reality TV personality Jen Shah to plead out this morning in Manhattan federal court on telemarketing fraud charges she previously pleaded not guilty to,” Courthouse News reporter Josh Russell shared.

CBS News reported Cassandra Gauthier also commented, quoting Josh’s tweet and saying, “After all of the denials, broken drinking glasses, feather-coifed TV moments- it comes down to the SDNY where Jen Shah changes her plea- and pleads guilty.”

A short time later, Josh shared a series of additional posts on Twitter, updating his online audience on the time Jen is facing and the fines she’ll likely be forced to pay.

“Jen Shah’s plea agreement with the government stipulates a sentence guideline range (which Judge Stein doesn’t have to follow) of 135 to 168 months in prison – 11.25 to 14 years, and $9.5 million in restitution,” read another tweet.

UPDATE: Jen has officially pled guilty and her sentencing date has now been set for November 28, 2022.

Ironically, news of Jen’s guilty plea comes just hours after her RHOSLC co-star, Meredith Marks, who she appeared to grow close with amid season three following a series of tense moments in season two, shared an Instagram Story in which she spoke of being “innocent until proven guilty.’

“For those of you who may not know this: I live in the United States of America. In the US, one has a right to a trial and is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” her post proclaimed.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season three is expected to begin airing sometime later this year on Bravo.


x