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Jen Shah’s sentence is starting.
On Friday, the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star is beginning her six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for her role in a nationwide telemarketing scam, Sky News reports.
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Shah will serve her 78-month sentence at a prison in Texas, after the sentencing was handed down last month.
The reality star pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud last July, admitting to running a telemarketing scheme which targeted elderly and computer illiterate people, selling them services that were deemed “essentially non-existent” by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Appearing in court, Shah acknowledged that she “knew it was wrong, many people were harmed and I’m so sorry,” admitting that she “agreed with others to commit with wire fraud” and that she “knew it misled” victims.
As part of the plea arrangement, Shah also agreed to forfeit $6.5 million, plus up to $9.5 million in restitution.
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Shah was accused of the crime alongside her “first assistant” Stuart Smith in March 2021.
In a statement to People, Shah’s lawyer said she is “committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community.”
The statement added, “No obstacle will deter Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she’s determined to make restitution to those whose lives she has impacted.”
