Jen Shah sentenced to 78 months in prison for her role in nationwide telemarketing fraud scam - Fox News

Jen Shah was sentenced to 78 months successful situation Friday aft pleading blameworthy to committing ligament fraud successful a telemarketing strategy targeting the elderly.

Judge Stein took the seat astir 10:30 americium to commencement the sentencing hearing, arsenic Shah sat betwixt her 2 attorneys astatine the defence table.

The courtroom was packed and filled with "Real Housewives" fans arsenic they eagerly waited for the results of Shah's sentencing.

The world prima appeared to person a superior demeanor and looked tense up of her sentencing. She looked down astatine her husband, who was seated successful the gallery, concisely earlier the sentencing started.

The Justice Department initially requested a decennary down bars for "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star. Her ineligible squad requested a three-year sentence, antecedently calling Shah "an exceptional parent and a bully pistillate who has already been punished extensively arsenic a effect of the sins of her past."

She primitively faced up to 50 years successful prison.

Shah and her longtime assistant, Stuart Smith, were "each charged with 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud successful transportation with telemarketing done which they victimized 10 oregon much persons implicit the property of 55, which carries a maximum condemnation of 30 years, and 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering, which carries a maximum condemnation of 20 years," the Department of Justice said successful a merchandise published astatine the clip of their arrests. 

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Jen Shah sentenced successful national fraud lawsuit Friday. (Bravo)

"The maximum imaginable sentences successful this lawsuit are prescribed by Congress and are provided present for informational purposes only, arsenic immoderate sentencing of the defendants volition beryllium determined by the judge."  

They utilized third-party names for their concern entities, according to the archetypal indictment. Shah and Smith allegedly told victims to usage encrypted messages arsenic forms of connection and instructed users to nonstop payments to offshore accounts.

Jennifer Shah arrives to national tribunal successful New York, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 10-year situation condemnation for the subordinate of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." (AP)

She initially pled not blameworthy to the charges successful 2021. One twelvemonth later, Shah entered a guilty plea arsenic portion of an statement wherever the wealth laundering complaint was dropped. She agreed to forfeit $6.5 cardinal and besides wage restitution up to $9.5 million.

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Bravo cameras were rolling erstwhile authorities stepped into a "Housewives" accumulation successful hunt of Shah. Only minutes earlier Homeland Security arrived successful the Beauty Lab parking lot, Shah had received a telephone telephone from an chartless idiosyncratic and abruptly near the shoot. 

Shah was arrested connected her mode location connected March 30, 2021. She, on with co-conspirator and former person Stuart Smith, were some charged with conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud successful transportation with telemarketing and conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering.  

"Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" prima Jen Shah entered a blameworthy plea successful July to "put this ordeal down her," according to her lawyer (Chad Kirkland/Bravo)

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said, "Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself arsenic a affluent and palmy businessperson connected ‘reality’ television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed arsenic Shah’s ‘first assistant,’ allegedly generated and sold ‘lead lists’ of guiltless individuals for different members of their strategy to repeatedly scam.  

"In existent world and arsenic alleged, the alleged concern opportunities pushed connected the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were conscionable fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to bargain victims’ money.  Now, these defendants look clip successful situation for their alleged crimes."

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Prior to July's blameworthy plea, Shah spent much than 1 twelvemonth professing her innocence connected "RHOSLC," adjacent utilizing the tagline during play 2 of her "Housewives" introduction: "The lone happening I’m blameworthy of is being Shah-mazing."

Her lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, confirmed to Fox News Digital astatine the clip that Jen's blameworthy plea was owed to Shah's tendency to determination guardant with her beingness and "put this ordeal down her."

Shah was arrested successful March 2021 and charged successful the nationwide telemarketing scheme. (Rick Bowmer)

"Ms. Shah is simply a bully pistillate who crossed a line. She accepts afloat work for her actions and profoundly apologizes to each who person been harmed," Chaudry said. "Ms. Shah is besides atrocious for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters. 

"Jen pled blameworthy due to the fact that she wants to wage her indebtedness to nine and enactment this ordeal down her and her family."

Jennifer is joined to Sharrieff Shah, the peculiar teams coordinator for the University of Utah shot team. The mates has 2 children.

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