By Jen Smith, Chief Reporter For Dailymail.Com 18:54 17 Feb 2023, updated 19:30 17 Feb 2023
- Shah will report today at a federal prison in the south-central region
- She asked to be taken to FPC Bryan in Texas, a minimum security detention center
- Shah, 49, pleaded guilty to running a year-long telemarketing scheme
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah will begin her 6.5-year sentence today.
The 49-year-old asked to be taken to FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison for women in Bryan, Texas.
It remains unconfirmed whether the judge granted her application; The judge recommended sending her to one of the federal camps in the south-central region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico.
In a statement, her lawyer Priya Chaudhry told DailyMail.com she was “determined to serve her sentence with courage and determination”.
Jen Shah (shown during her sentencing hearing in January) is due to report to jail today
Shah, the loudmouthed outcast from the Bravo show she appeared on, pleaded guilty to fraud in a sensational about-face last year.
She had maintained her innocence both on the air and on social media for months.
She admitted to running a years-long telemarketing scheme targeting vulnerable elderly, tricking them into buying fake business advice
“Jen Shah’s determination to heal her victims and transform their lives is unyielding.
“She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and determination, driven by her desire to repair the harm she has caused and to help others in her new community.
“No obstacle will stop Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she is determined to make amends to those whose lives she has impacted.
“Her journey will be full of challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is ready to face those challenges head on and emerge from this experience a better person who will have a positive impact on others.”
Shah and her son got matching tattoos yesterday ahead of their sentence
At her sentencing hearing last month, Shah asked for clemency as she told the judge how sorry she was.
Shah’s victims were sucked into endless payments or subscription services that they couldn’t get out of — or didn’t know how to do.
At her sentencing, prosecutors said she laughed callously with colleagues when some of the tearful victims called her and asked to be cleared of the debt.
Federal prosecutors sought a 10-year sentence for Shah, while her attorneys suggested she serve three.
They rejected her promises of repentance and pointed out how they made criminal prosecution a personality trait and a line of trade.
“For nearly a decade, the defendant was an integral leader of a large-scale, nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that victimized thousands of innocent people. Many of these people were elderly or vulnerable.
Police confiscate dozens of fake bags and trinkets from Shah’s homePolice confiscate dozens of fake bags and trinkets from Shah’s home The 49-year-old is one of the most bombastic characters in the Bravo series in which she stars
“Many of these people suffered significant financial hardship and damage.
“On the orders of the defendant, the victims were duped over and over again until they had nothing.
“She and her co-conspirators persisted in their behavior until the victims’ bank accounts were empty, their credit cards were maxed out and there was nothing left to take.
“Despite the defendants’ best efforts, she was caught.
“She then went on a public offensive, trying to cash in on the charges by selling Justice for Jen merchandise. She pleaded guilty at the eleventh hour, only after receiving the government’s trial evidence and testimony.
“In light of her behavior and her behavior after the arrest, her belated expressions of remorse ring hollow,” wrote US Attorney Damian Williams.