Another Housewife has found herself in trouble with the law. On Tuesday, March 30, NBC News reported that charges against Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah have been filed, leading to her arrest in Utah. The charges, which include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, were filed in a Manhattan court.
Shah was reportedly arrested alongside her assistant, Stuart Smith, who appeared with her on RHOSLC's first season. Together, they have been charged with essentially committing a massive telemarketing fraud. In a statement, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said that Shah and Smith "allegedly sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam." Strauss went on, saying, "In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims' money."
Per the indictment, which was released to the public, Shah and Smith are accused of having run this alleged scheme from 2012 to March of 2021, affecting "hundreds of victims" with what the court documents call "the Business Opportunity Scheme." Utah reporter Ben Winslow tweeted that, if convicted, Shah could face up to 30 years in prison. And, according to TMZ, she could face an additional 20 years if convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Shah's arrest will, undoubtedly, shake up Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The series started filming its second season in February, which means that Shah's arrest could be featured on the show. It's unclear if cameras were rolling at the time of her arrest, but fans are hopeful.
Shah has yet to release a statement on her arrest, but her Instagram Story was last updated about an hour before news of her arrest broke, suggesting she won't be silent for long. (She posted about getting her hair done yesterday, and shared what looked like her morning glam look not long before her arrest.)
The RHOSLC star is expected to appear in court later today.
A representative for Bravo said the "network is not commenting" on Jen Shah's arrest.
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