On Friday, Jennifer Shah, a former cast member of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for defrauding hundreds of elderly and needy people through a nearly ten-year telemarketing scam. Shah admitted conspiring in July. Federal sentencing guidelines recommend a one-year sentence, but prosecutors proposed a 10-year sentence.
According to Stein, he had no intention of judging Shah’s family and friends during Friday’s hearing. Stein called him “just a character.” He was acting & scripted.
In his opinion, reality television is not real, Shah told the judge. She blamed others for her predicament, claiming she had been deceived for years.
“Shah claimed responsibility for any wrongdoing, but my awful choices are all mine. I apologize for the harm I caused. I wish I had stopped, realized what I was doing, and turned around. After her release from prison, she apologized to “innocent individuals” and promised $6.5 million in restitution.
After leaving the courthouse, Shah did not comment. She will be arrested. Shah orchestrated a “clear and brazen fraud” that promoted phoney services online from 2012 until March 2021, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman.
Among the over 30 accused, he called her the most guilty. He said, “She knew she was doing something wrong.” Shah believes shutting down goods sales would benefit victims. Victims cannot be fully restored emotionally, but they can be restored financially, according to the court.
