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She lied! RHOSLC’s Jen Shah set for prison after guilty plea: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star denied fraud claims at first, but now the telemarketing scam could cost her US$9.5 million

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah just pleaded guilty to wire fraud ... and could even face decades of jail time. Photo: Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah just pleaded guilty to wire fraud ... and could even face decades of jail time. Photo: Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

  • That’s one Real Housewives scandal closed: the reality TV star just pled guilty to wire fraud in Manhattan, New York, after running a decade-long telemarketing scheme
  • She allegedly scammed elderly victims out of their life savings and is even believed to have asked a co-conspirator to lie under oath in court – now she faces up to 30 years in prison

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah must immediately pay US$6.5 million back to the elderly victims of a decade-long telemarketing scheme, federal prosecutors said after Shah pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Manhattan on Monday, July 11.

Shah’s problems will only get worse, though.

When she is sentenced by a federal judge on November 28, Shah could also be ordered to pay as much as US$3 million in additional restitution to her victims. And she faces up to 30 years in prison, though it is likely she will be sentenced to less prison time.

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The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah leaves federal court in Salt Lake City in March 2021. Photo: The Deseret News via AP
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah leaves federal court in Salt Lake City in March 2021. Photo: The Deseret News via AP

She remains free on US$1 million bail that was set when she initially pleaded not guilty in April 2021.

She initially denied the accusations on RHOSLC

Jen Shah and Mary Cosby in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake-City. Photo: Handout
Jen Shah and Mary Cosby in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake-City. Photo: Handout
The 48-year-old reality TV star from Park City, Utah, had called the wire fraud charges “bulls***” in a season two trailer for the reality show that aired last August.

But on Monday, she admitted to her role in the multi-state scam, which ripped off hundreds of victims, telling US district judge Sidney Stein, “I knew this was wrong.”

Shah participated in the national scheme by helping to sell lists of “leads”, or potential telemarketing victims, prosecutors alleged. Shah did so knowing that the leads were vulnerable, often elderly people, many of whom were then scammed out of their life savings, prosecutors said.

Jen Shah has an estimated net worth of US$3 million. Photo: @therealjenshah/Instagram
Jen Shah has an estimated net worth of US$3 million. Photo: @therealjenshah/Instagram
Agencies