Real Housewives’ Star Jen Shah Sentenced: NEW YORK The troubled “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reality star Jen Shah, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in July, has been given a six-and-a-half-year sentence for her part in a telemarketing scheme.
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 participating in a massive telemarketing scam, along with five years of post-release supervision.
As part of her plea deal, Shah agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and pay $9.5 million in restitution.
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What Statement Did Jane Shah Give In The Court On Friday?
The judge required the reality star to present herself to the police on February 17 to begin serving her sentence.
A judge ruled on Friday that Jennifer Shah will serve six and a half years in prison for running a fraudulent telemarketing scheme.
Ahead of the scheduled hearing, Bravo fans waited outside the Manhattan courthouse in the pouring rain in the hope of being among the first to learn how long the reality TV star would be imprisoned.
Fans were curious about what Shah, who frequently appears on screen wearing designer 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 clarified before hearing the closing arguments from Shah’s attorneys and the prosecution.
Stein remarked that Shah’s TV presence is “a heavily scripted operation,” adding that any character your client plays is “just a character.” He continued by saying that the court would not “confuse” acting with reality.
Shah emerged from the elevators followed by police and security guards while sporting a camel-colored suit and stiletto heels with a leopard print. Before joining her attorneys for the hearing, she entered the courtroom and sat between her husband, Sharrieff, and their oldest child, Sharrieff Jr.
The defendant read statements from the victims of Shah’s telemarketing scheme, which involved promoting phony services as having the ability to help people make money through online businesses, according to Shah’s attorney, Priya Chaudhry, who claimed that her client’s attempts to maintain innocence “ended” after the defendant.
Why Did Jane Shah Defend Her Innocence For Almost A Year?
Authorities allege that Shah defrauded tens of thousands nationally, some of whom were over 55. Shah’s lawyers said that because their client didn’t communicate with or interact with her victims while running her firm, she was mainly oblivious to the fraud. According to the prosecution, Shah’s disregard for the harm she caused victims was “preposterous.”
Robert Sobelman, the prosecuting attorney, said that Shah managed her own sales floor and hired staff because she spent “half the year” conducting business in New York. Sobelman added in his statement to Stein that prosecutors reportedly discovered communications on her phone in which she and her co-conspirators were “laughing” about “defrauding people.”
The judgment was initially scheduled for Friday. While Bravo cameras were rolling in Salt Lake City in March 2021 in preparation for a girl’s vacation to Vail, Colorado, the authorities took Shah into custody. Stuart Smith, Shah’s assistant, was also detained and accused of conspiring to conduct wire fraud. In November, Smith entered a guilty plea, according to People.
In her statement, she emphasized that her reality TV identity was “created, planned,” and “edited” for entertainment. In addition, Shah apologized to her family in a heartfelt manner for the “shame” and “embarrassment I’ve brought upon them.”
When Did Real Housewives’ Star Jen Shah Sentenced?
On Wednesday’s “RHOSLC” episode, Shah and her therapist discussed the trial’s impact on her family. During the sentencing hearing, Shah spoke to the court and expressed her regret for the “shame” she had caused her family.
She expressed regret in court for the “suffering” her youngest son Omar went through when police tried to arrest his mother in March 2021 and drew their weapons at him.
Following Shah’s July hearing, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said that the actor was a “key participant” in a “plot that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims.”
Jen Shah of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” is detained and accused of running a vast telemarketing operation.
According to the prosecution, Shah ran the telemarketing scheme’s Manhattan sales floor, managed day-to-day operations, and moved some of the company’s operations to Kosovo to avoid regulatory and law enforcement inspection.
Prosecutors claimed that Shah took some actions to conceal her involvement in the fraud, including forming her company companies under the names of third people, giving others the same advice, and ordering others to communicate via encrypted messaging apps.
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