Jen Shah, 'Real Housewives of SLC' star's prison sentencing reduced by one year
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Jen Shah, a member of "Real Housewives of SLC," had her prison sentence cut by one year.
Shah was given six and a half years in prison in January of this year after her alleged involvement of a telemarketing fraud scheme.
She pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Manhattan federal court after signing a plea agreement with prosecutors a day earlier that carries a recommended sentencing range of 11 to 14 years behind bars.
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She told a judge that beginning in 2012, she participated in a massive telemarketing fraud for nearly a decade that prosecutors say cheated thousands of people nationwide, including some over age 55.
She said she knew that she was teaming up with others to market products to people "that had little or no value."
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Shah a "key participant in a nationwide scheme that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims."
He added: "These victims were sold false promises of financial security but instead Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiersten Ann Fletcher said Shah acted as a "lead broker," directing what sales workers said to their victims and sharing in illegal profits, using some of the money to pay for the New York City apartment where she lived and for other personal items.
As part of her plea agreement, Shah agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay $9.5 in restitution.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Shah will serve only five and a half years.
