Jen Shah starts her sentence for telemarketing fraud. Image Source: CNN
Jen Shah starts her sentence for telemarketing fraud.
On Friday, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah entered the FPC Bryan Prison in Bryan, Texas, where she will serve up to 78 months followed by five years of supervised release for the telemarketing fraud scheme.
Jen Shah and her assistant Stuart Smith were charged and convicted on January 6 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a telemarketing scheme. Stuart Smith and Jen Shah were detained in March 2021 but pleaded innocence in April 2021, with Stuart Smith later admitting guilt in November 2021 and Jen Shah changing her plea in July 2022.
At the time of Jen Shah's plea, Priya Chaudhry asserted that she is a good woman who stepped over the line, noting that she acknowledges full responsibility for what she did and deeply apologizes to everyone who has been hurt. Jen Shah, according to Priya, also sincerely apologizes for frustrating her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters. Jen admitted guilt to paying back society's debt and putting this ordeal past her and her family. Jen Shah was found guilty to 6.5 years in prison by Judge Stein of New York last month. She also received five years of supervision following her sentence to ensure she does not commit another felony.
FPC Bryan Prison in Bryan, Texas, is where former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is expected to complete her 11-year sentence. It has been reported that Jen Shah will supposedly be required to keep her cell in great condition while there, which involves making her bed, removing the trash, sweeping the floor, and working at either a food service or factory job.
Jen Shah's attorney, Priya Chaudhry, issued a statement ahead of her arrival in the jail cell, saying that Jen Shah's willpower to make her victims whole and transform her life around is standing firm, and she is determined to complete her sentence with the maximum fortitude and intention, fueled by her goal of making restitution for the hurt she has exacerbated and to help others within her new community. The declaration went on to say that no obstacle will stop Jen Shah from trying to make the most of her time in prison, and she is driven to make amends to those whose lives she has affected.
Jen Shah's attorney went on to say in the statement that her path ahead will be packed with obstacles, but with the unfaltering support and love of her family and friends, Jen is prepared to confront these challenges head-on and emerge from this expertise a better person who has a positive effect on others.
In an Instagram post on Friday, the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah said ahead of her reporting to prison that it is the price she must pay for the bad choices she has made. Jen said people were hurt as a result of her decisions adding that she will work to make reparation and make peace with the victims of her crime while imprisoned. Jen Shah then directed her followers to a link in her bio which lead to a YouTube interview in which she discusses how she was lying to herself because she didn't want to believe she had committed an offense.
Jen Shah further wrote that she hopes that people will judge her for how she reacted to the statement, rather than just the decisions that led to her incarceration adding that she intends to "write" her work to "invite" others to hold her responsible, but it is unclear what type of work will be published. The reality star added that she believes in trying to earn freedom, and she will work toward that goal by making amends with the people she has wronged.
When Jen Shah was sentenced, she apologized for her actions. She said she is apologetic as her actions have resulted in harm to innocent individuals. According to Inner City Press' Matthew Russell Lee, she previously stated that she would like to apologize and say that she is doing everything she can to earn the funds necessary to pay restitution. Referring to the family, Jen Shah said that mommy is so apologetic that the kids were wakened up at gunpoint, and for her husband Omar, she said that she is deeply touched by his love for her.
On the Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City reunion, some of her castmates revealed that Jen Shah asked them for money to help her with the trial expenses. Heather Gay said that they asked the companions for funds, and a lot of their friends donated money adding that she did not give them money but she is aware that others on this couch did. She also stated that she would pay Jen Shah a visit in prison depending on where she goes, but would make sure to check in on Jen Shah's husband, "Coach" Sharreif Shah, and her two children. Heather Gay said that if Jen Shah wants, she will write her, and will check in on her son Omar and Coach.
