The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star will start serving her 78-month sentence at a prison somewhere in the “Texas region” on Friday.
Jen Shah wants to make up for her part in setting up a scheme to steal money while she is in prison.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, who is 49 years old, will start her 78-month (6.5-year) sentence on Friday when she goes to a prison in the “Texas region.” On Thursday, her lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, gave a statement to PEOPLE.
“Jen Shah is adamant about making her victims whole and changing her life,” the statement said. “She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, driven by her desire to make up for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community.”
The statement went on to say, “Nothing will stop Jen from making the most of her time in prison, and she’s determined to make things right with the people she hurt.”
“Her path ahead will be full of challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is ready to face these challenges head-on and come out of this experience a better person who has a positive effect on others.”
Shah and Stuart Smith, one of her assistants, were first arrested in March 2021. In April 2021, they pleaded not guilty.
In November 2021, her assistant said she was guilty, but Shah said she was innocent until a court hearing in July 2022, when she changed her mind.
“Ms. Shah is a good person who did something wrong. She takes full responsibility for what she did and is very sorry to everyone she hurt “Chaudhry said at the time to PEOPLE. “Ms. Shah also feels bad for letting down her husband, children, family, friends, and people who supported her. Jen pleaded guilty because she wants to pay back what she owes to society and move on with her family.”
Last month, a judge in New York gave her a prison sentence of 6.5 years. After her sentence, she will be watched for five years “to make sure you don’t do anything else wrong,” Judge Sidney Stein told Shah.
She also spoke directly to her younger son and her father: “Mommy is so sorry that a gun was used to wake up my baby Omar. I want to say I’m sorry to my late father. Your love makes me feel small.”
People got court documents that showed how Shah’s supposed wrongdoings affected the people who were hurt. One man said, “I wasted about $40,000 trying to help my family,” while another said, “We paid $100,000.” Two of the people who gave statements about the scam said that it made them lose their homes.
At the time, Chaudhry told PEOPLE: “Ms. Shah is heartbroken because she has made these people suffer. She promises to try her whole life to make each one whole.”
Shah filmed some episodes of RHOSLC between the time she was arrested and the time she was sentenced, but she did not film the season 3 reunion.
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