‘RHOSLC’: Jen Shah Blames Her Fraud Crimes on ‘Personal Issues’
As The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah prepares to be sentenced in her fraud scheme, fans wonder what led her to make such criminal decisions. Shah was reportedly a top marketing executive before starting her own alleged businesses and becoming a reality star. In a recent letter to the judge in her case, Shah blamed issues in her personal life for her crimes.
What Jen Shah pleaded guilty to
Shah was accused of targeting the 55+ community and selling them fake marketing services for their businesses. For a year, the reality star claimed she was innocent. But weeks before she was scheduled to go to trial, she changed her plea to guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. As a result of her guilty plea, the US attorney agreed to drop count two, conspiracy to commit money laundering, Page Six reports.
During the sentencing, Shah had to confirm that she understood the change and that she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Due to her plea agreement, she now faces 11 to 14 years behind bars and restitution of up to $9.5 million for her crimes. Had she gone to trial, she would have faced 50 years in prison.
When asked what she did, Shah told the judge and court: “Wire fraud, offering services with little to no value. We used interstate telephones and emails. I knew many of the purchasers were over the age of 55. I am so sorry.” The Bravo star also said that she knew what she was doing “wrong and illegal.”
She says her choices were made due to personal issues she was experiencing in her life
Shah recently submitted letters for her sentencing in which she and her loved ones asked for a minimal sentence. PEOPLE Magazine obtained the letter, in which Shah explains what led her to commit the crimes.
“The terrible business decisions I made and professional relationships I developed stemmed from some personal, painful experiences that I was going through in my life,” she wrote to the judge. Her legal team is asking that she is sentenced to just 36 months in prison. She also wants to serve her time in a federal prison in Bryan, Texas.
The requested sentence comes as her legal team argues Shah wasn’t the “kingpin” or “Godfather” of the scheme, despite alleged evidence from the prosecution that Shah was the person to provide all leads to target in the scheme. Her lawyer also says that the flashy housewife she’s portrayed to be on the show is not who she is.
Shah’s husband, who coaches football at a university in Utah, says she is committed to righting her wrongs. Regarding the sentence, Shah wrote: “That expectation has no regard for me or my family’s well-being; so under legal advice, I will not be attending the reunion. I need to focus on the important thing in my life — my family.”
Her letter comes on the heels of her skipping the Season 3 reunion
As Shah’s legal troubles mount and she faces sentencing, the RHOSLC season 3 reunion went on without her. In a lengthy Instagram post, Shah claims she was ready to speak her truth, but was advised by her legal counsel not to discuss the terms of her case. As a result, she said network executives found her conditions to be “unsatisfactory,” and she opted to skip the reunion altogether. With her sentencing looming, it’s unclear whether she will return for another season.
