The troubled “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reality television star Jen Shah, who pled guilty to one charge of fraud in July, has indeed been given a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for her part in a telemarketing operation.
Despite the prosecution’s recommendation of a 120-month prison term, Judge Sidney H. Stein determined on Friday that the Bravo star would receive a 78-month prison term for fraud conspiracy after admitting to taking part in a massive telemarketing scam, along with five years of post-release supervision.
As part of her plea deal, Shah also consented to lose $6.5 million and pay $9.5 million in compensation. She even made a statement in court claiming that she will return every red cent. The reality star was required by the judge to present herself to the police on February 17 to begin serving her sentence.
Jen Shah’s Case
The federal government was represented by Assistant US Attorney Robert Sobelman, who continued, “Every cooperator informed us Jen Shah is the boss. Before the sentencing, Shah’s attorney Priya Chaudhry stated that her client regretted the errors she had made. She apologizes. She had confidence in our legal system. According to Inner City Press as well, Jen will repay her social obligation.
But there is not a single message from her that conveys regret of any kind, Sobelman argued. No defense filings have been made. Even when she admitted guilt, she didn’t feel that way. Shah, 49, entered a guilty plea in July in connection with a telemarketing scheme in which she is accused of defrauding hundreds of people—particularly the elderly—of their money.
According to the Inner City Press, US District Judge Sidney Stein remarked in the courtroom on Friday that Jen Shah’s role on “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” which she supposes is why the courthouse is so packed today, is just that—a role.
“People shouldn’t mistake the role she plays on a show for the person who was here before me,” I said. Stein frequently referred to Shah’s function as a leader in her plan; this was undoubtedly taken into account when establishing the length of the sentence.
In their sentencing application earlier on Friday, federal prosecutors asked for ten years in jail for the defunct reality star, stating, “Victims were scammed repeatedly until they had nothing left.” The victims’ bank accounts were emptied, their credit cards were maxed out, and there was nothing left to take, according to what she and her accomplices wrote.
The Bravo personality appeared at the Manhattan court with a leopard-print suitcase and a camel-colored suit. She was joined by her spouse, Sharrieff Shah Sr., and her two boys inside the court. The three-year penalty Jen’s attorneys announced Friday morning is much shorter than the previously reduced term of up to 14 years in prison that they had originally asked for as part of her plea agreement in December.
Ahead of the scheduled hearing, Bravo fans waited outside the Manhattan courthouse in the pouring rain to be among the first to learn how long the reality TV star will be imprisoned.
Fans were curious about what Shah, who frequently appears on screen wearing fancy clothing and elaborate jewelry, would wear to hear her fate in addition to her impending prison sentence. Shah’s Bravo personality was not present in the courtroom, the judge made this clear before hearing the closing arguments from Shah’s counsel and the prosecution.
Shah emerged from the elevators, followed by police and security guards while sporting a camel-colored suit and stiletto shoes with a leopard design. She entered the courtroom and sat between her husband, Sharrieff, and their oldest child, Sharrieff Jr., before joining her attorneys for the duration of the hearing.
The court should impose a sentence that is not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of punishment, Chaudhry, her attorney, had previously argued. She even added that they submit that this sentence is just and fair because it considers Ms. Shah’s background and character traits, the circumstances, and the facts of the offense.
Also mentioned at the time was that Jen’s legal team claimed their client had no direct contact with the victims. One of several close relatives and friends who filed letters to the judge pleading for a less severe punishment was Sharrieff Sr. The ex-attorney and current head coach of a college basketball team used his wife’s spotless criminal record as a good argument for leniency.
