‘RHOSLC’ Star Jen Shah's Jail Time Has Been Reduced More Than Once

Jennifer Tisdale - Author
By

PUBLISHED Dec. 11 2021, 9:47 a.m. ET

UPDATED Sep. 13 2023, 11:18 a.m. ET

The Gist:

  • Jen Shah was sentenced to 78 months in prison for her role in a telemarketing scam.
  • Soon after she reported to prison, her sentence was reduced by a year.
  • It was later reduced by about two months.
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It's hard not to remember the time Jen Shah said, "The only thing I'm guilty of is being Shah-mazing," because she's definitely been guilty of a lot more than that. It would certainly be difficult to film Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City from prison, but if anyone could do it, Jen Shah could.

All jokes aside, she was sentenced to quite a bit of time behind bars after pleading guilty to taking part in a telemarketing scam. So, how long will Jen Shah spend in prison? Allow us to break it down for you in what we're calling The Real Big Housewife.

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Jen Shah
Source: Instagram/ @TheRealJenShah

Jen Shah's jail time was reduced more than once.

Originally, Jen Shah was facing up to 30 years in prison for her charges, but thanks to her plea agreement, she received a reduced sentence of 78 months on Jan. 6, 2023. Jen reported to prison in Bryan, Texas on Feb. 17 (the same prison that disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is in).

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However, E! Online reported in late March 2023 that Jen's release date was moved a full year earlier than it was originally set. As such, Jen was scheduled to be released on Aug. 30, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' inmate database.

Then, in September 2023, it was reported that Jen's prison date had been changed again — this time to July 1, 2028, per Yahoo.

Jen Shah filming an episode of 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'
Source: Bravo
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What did Jen Shah do? She pleaded guilty in July of 2022 ahead of her trial date.

In March 2021, Jen and her assistant Stuart Smith were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. According to People, they were said to have victimized at least 10 people over age 55. Jen and Stuart were also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Initially, both Jen and Stuart pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in April 2021, but Stuart changed his plea to guilty in November of that year. Jen maintained her innocence into 2022 but later changed her tune.

According to Variety, on July 11, 2022, Shah pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges. The disgraced reality star entered into a plea agreement ahead of her court date, which was scheduled for July 18, 2022. Priya Chaudhry, Shah's attorney, opted to withdraw her previous not guilty plea in favor of arranging a deal.

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Jen Shah
Source: Bravo

After Jen reported to prison, her rep told People in March 2023:

"I have spoken with my client Jen Shah over the phone this week — she is doing well and remains committed towards making her victims whole. She has initiated her payments towards restitution, and we hope to have her home as soon as possible so that she may resume life with her family and work, putting this chapter of her life behind her."

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In addition to serving her time in jail, Jen was forced to pay more than $6 million in restitution to the victims and forfeit $6 million.

According to a report from TMZ, Jen is expected to undergo mental health treatment once she's served her jail sentence.

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