Real Housewives of Salt Lake City fans were shocked when Jen Shah was arrested in March 2021 and charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Jen was involved in a telemarketing scheme that targeted the elderly.
Jen’s assistant, Stuart Smith, was facing the same charges. But in November 2021, Stuart changed his plea to guilty.
After declaring her innocence, Jen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection to telemarketing. In January 2023, Jen was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
At her sentencing, Assistant US Attorney Robert Sobelman stated, “Every cooperator told us, Jen Shah is the boss. They all knew who she was.”
According to Page Six, Jen reported to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her time. Jen is scheduled to be housed at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. This prison, which is located 100 miles northwest of Houston, is a minimum-security facility for women.
The facility, which has a 37-acre campus, has been called a “cushy” prison. Jen won’t be the only famous inmate at FPC Bryan. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is also an inmate.
Criminal defense attorney Doug Murphy previously told the New York Post about the accommodations. “Instead of cells, these camps generally offer dormitory-style housing for all inmates; it will be bunk beds.”
Jen will share a bunk bed with another inmate. She will also have access to commissary items such as soup, gourmet snacks, and toiletries.
Jen’s attorney, Priya Chaudry, released a statement ahead of Jen’s surrender to prison. “Jen Shah’s resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding. She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community,” the statement read.
“No obstacle will deter Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she’s determined to make restitution to those whose lives she has impacted.”
Her attorney stated, “Her path ahead will be filled with challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is prepared to face these challenges head-on and emerge from this experience a better person who makes a positive impact on others.”
Once released from prison, she will enter a mental health treatment program. Jen will also be under supervised release for five years. She will have to pay $6.5 million in restitution to the victims.
The former RHOSLC star was sporting some fresh ink when she entered prison. Across the top of her left arm, Jen had the word “Keiki” tattooed. Keiki means “child” or “baby” in Hawaiian.
She had the name of her husband, Sharrieff Shah, and her two sons, Sharrieff Shah, Jr. and Omar Shah, tattooed on the bottom of her right arm.
TELL US- DO YOU THINK THAT JEN WILL LEAVE PRISON AS A BETTER PERSON? DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRISON IS TOO “CUSHY?”
[Photo Credit: Andrew Peterson/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Image]