Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member sentenced to over six years in prison in telemarketing fraud scheme

CNN –

Jennifer Shah, a cast member of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for defrauding thousands of victims in a lengthy telemarketing scheme that targeted the elderly and vulnerable.

Judge Sidney Stein ordered the sentence to be 78 months, along with five years of supervised release.

Shah – the latest reality star whose deceit was exposed by their fame-seeking lifestyle – had asked for a three-year sentence.

She had faced 14 years in prison under the sentencing guidelines.

Shah’s defense attorney, Priya Chaudhry, released a statement on Friday, saying that Shah is “deeply sorry for the mistakes he has made and deeply sorry for the people he has hurt.”

“Jen has faith in our justice system, understands that anyone who breaks the law will be punished and accepts this punishment as right,” the statement said. “Jen will pay her debt to society, and when she is a free woman again, she vows to pay her debt to the victims harmed by her mistakes.”

Judge Stein called Shah an “integral” member of the decade-long fraud scheme.

Shahu, who was wearing camel trousers, a blouse and leopard-print stiletto heels, said in a cracking voice: “First and foremost I am very sorry for what I have done. I take full responsibility for my actions and am doing everything I can to repair the damage I have caused.”

“I am deeply sorry for the agony and significant financial loss each of you has suffered,” she said of the victims.

Shah broke down in tears as she apologized to her husband and two sons, who were present in the packed courtroom.

Shah, who was arrested in March 2021, pleaded guilty in July. Prosecutors asked for 10 years in prison.

Stein asked Shah’s attorney why Shah’s written statement said nothing about her concern for the fraud victims and noted how she took steps to conceal her fraud, including moving bank accounts to Kosovo and Cyprus.

Prosecutor Robert Sobelman said the evidence would have been “devastating” if the case had gone to trial. He said Shah showed no remorse for the victims and her text messages revealed she was laughing with co-workers about them, asking if they had made a victim “stop crying yet”.

Before the sentence ended, Shah sat next to her husband, Sharrieff Shah, who shook her hand. Her two sons were sitting on the other side of her.

About 20 of Shah’s family members and friends filled four rows of seats in the courtroom, which was at capacity with reporters, fans of the show and others in attendance.

Missing from the stands were any of her co-stars from the reality series.

Shah’s attorney said she is no longer selling “Free Jen” or “Justice for Jen” merchandise on her website and any proceeds would go to pay the victims.