‘RHOSLC’ star Jen Shah sentenced to 6½ years in prison for fraud
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years, or 78 months, in prison for wire fraud.
The reality star’s attorney Priya Chaudry tells Page Six on Friday, “Jen Shah deeply regrets the mistakes that she has made and is profoundly sorry to the people she has hurt.”
“Jen has faith in our justice system, understands that anyone who breaks the law will be punished, and accepts this sentence as just,” the statement continued.
“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.”
US District Judge Sidney Stein said in the courtroom Friday, per the Inner City Press, “Jen Shah’s role on the ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,’ which I guess is why the courtroom is so full today, is just that, a role.
“People should not confuse the character she plays on an entertainment show to the person before me.”
Stein also noted several times that Shah was a “leader” of her conspiracy, which was likely a factor when deciding the length of her sentence.
Assistant US Attorney Robert Sobelman, who represented the federal government, added, “Every cooperator told us, Jen Shah is the boss. They all knew who she was,” according to Inner City Press.
Shah’s attorney Priya Chaudhry said ahead of the sentencing that her client “regrets the mistakes she has made. She is sorry. She had faith in our justice system. Jen will pay her debt to society,” the Inner City Press also reported.
However, Sobelman countered, “There is not one message from her that expresses any type of remorse, not one. The defense hasn’t submitted any. That’s not how she felt even when she pled guilty.”
Shah, 49, pleaded guilty in July in connection with a telemarketing scheme, in which she scammed thousands of people out of money, mainly targeting the elderly.
Earlier Friday, federal prosecutors requested 10 years in prison for the fallen reality star in their sentencing submission, noting, “Victims were defrauded over and over again until they had nothing left.”
“[Shah] and her co-conspirators persisted in their conduct until the victims’ bank accounts were empty, their credit cards were at their limits, and there was nothing more to take,” they wrote.
The Bravo star arrived at the Manhattan court wearing a camel-colored outfit and leopard-print bag. Inside the courtroom, she was accompanied by her husband, Sharrieff Shah Sr., and her two sons.
Jen’s attorneys said Friday morning they were seeking a three-year term, which is much less than the already-reduced sentence of up to 14 years behind bars that they had initially requested as part of her plea deal in December.
“We submit that such a sentence is just and fair because it takes into account Ms. Shah’s history and characteristics, the facts and circumstances of the offense, and meets that a court impose a sentence that is ‘not greater than necessary’ to achieve the goals of punishment,” Chaudhry, her lawyer, had previously argued.
Jen’s legal team also noted at the time that their client allegedly had no “direct contact” with the victims.
Sharrieff Sr. was also one of several close family members and friends who wrote letters to the judge, requesting a more lenient sentence.
The former attorney and college basketball coach pointed out his wife’s clean criminal history as a viable reason for leniency.
“Jen has never been arrested or detained for any crime,” Sharrieff, 51, wrote in a copy of a letter previously obtained by Page Six.
“My wife’s current legal predicament was caused by a confluence of events that came together at various points, which caused her to spiral out of control.”
The spouse then added that the couple’s strained relationship led her to “make catastrophically bad business decisions and develop relationships with awful people.”
“Because of my absence, I was not able to see how badly my wife was suffering,” he also wrote.
“As I think about it now, I saw her spending more time in our bedroom alone. She often fell asleep in our children’s bed waiting for me to come home. She would constantly tell me that she feels so alone.”
Jen’s sentencing was initially supposed to take place on Nov. 18, 2022, but it was moved to Dec. 15, 2022, due to a “scheduling conflict on the part of several members of the Government team.”
However, the “RHOSLC” star was then able to buy even more time by having the sentencing pushed back until after the holidays thanks to an approved request from her attorney.
Jen’s case has caught the attention of Bravo and reality TV fans ever since the feds arrested her on March 30, 2021 — while filming her show.
The disgraced TV personality claimed for months that she was going to “fight” the case because she was “innocent,” but then ultimately conceded to a guilty plea.
Earlier Friday, the “RHOSLC” star spoke in front of the judge and stated that “reality TV has nothing to do with reality” and that she is “sorry” that her actions have “hurt innocent people.”
She added, “I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution” and blamed her “longstanding untreated mental issues” that caused her to “create my own fractured reality.”
Jen is scheduled to surrender to prison on Feb. 17.
