Jennifer Shah, a star of the Bravo reality TV show “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty in a fraudulent national telemarketing scheme. Shah, who goes by Jen, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She also agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay restitution of up to $9.5 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. Federal prosecutors had sought 10 years in prison, while Shah’s lawyers asked for three years. “With today’s sentence, Jennifer Shah finally faces the consequences of the many years she spent targeting vulnerable, elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan.
Shah was indicted in 2021 on wire fraud charges for her role in the telemarketing scheme, which started in 2012, before the debut of the “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”She admitted to defrauding hundreds of people through the yearslong telemarketing scheme, which targeted elderly people. The victims bought coaching and other services from nonexistent online coaches. Shah also sold services including website design, even though the victims were elderly and didn’t own a computer. Prosecutors said Shah hid her role in the scheme, incorporating her business entities under third-party names and instructing other scheme participants to do the same. “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” premiered in late 2020. The second season of the show revolved around Ms. Shah’s arrest. Other stars of the franchise have gone to prison. Teresa Giudice, of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” spent 11 months in prison on fraud charges.