Inside Jen Shah's Latest Legal Problem
Following the explosive news that Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, Jen Shah, got arrested while the cast was filming season two, she's facing another — less common — legal issue. On Tuesday, Shah and her first assistant, Stuart Smith, were both placed under arrest and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, CNN reports. The two ran a telemarketing scam ring in which they targeted seniors, selling them various services including website creation and tax preparation. NBC reports that the fraud scheme lasted from 2012 until she was arrested this week.
The 47-year-old was due for her virtual arraignment on Wednesday, which she quickly struggled to access due to the 253 people who called in, PageSix reports. NBC notes that both Shah and her lawyer said they couldn't join the line that was flooded with members of the press and fans of the show. Apparently, the entire legal process couldn't move forward due to the technical glitches that kept taking place. The hearing is now set to take place on Friday after the judge deemed the situation, "inadequate for the court to feel comfortable".
Apparently, according to PageSix, some fans on the call were chatting amongst themselves, with one caller saying, ""Do you watch Bravo? It's the best thing ever!" unknowingly to the entire virtual courtroom.
In the wake of one of the biggest scandals in Housewives history, Jen Shah's husband Sharreif has yet to break his silence. During the first season of the show, viewers watched as the couple struggled to spend time together in light of his busy football coaching schedule.
Jen Shah's luxurious home is now under question
In addition to her relationship with her spouse of 20 years, fans also questioned her luxurious ski chalet home. The mother-of-two showed Bravo's cameras her opulent lifestyle — complete with designer duds, mansion, and luxury cars. Now, it appears as though fans and the network itself may have been duped by her schemes as well. The New York Post reports that Shah was a renter on her ski chalet rather than an owner. Standing at just below 10,000 square feet, the home has been under the possession of a Texas rental company since 2014.
Brandi Redmond from The Real Housewives of Dallas shared in a 2020 podcast interview that she knew one of the Salt Lake cast members was renting their home. "I do know that one of those ladies is renting a house. I don't know [who it is] because I don't know the cast but I do know that one of them is a renter because they're renting some friends of mine's home," she said, according to The Post.
Even though Redmond hadn't named names, Shah quickly came after her on social media, the outlet reports. After claiming she had four apartments in New York City in addition to her home in Utah, Shah tweeted, "You want to come for me with your red hair and b*******, come harder honey. You're about to get a taste of SHAH SQUAD and I don't mess around. PERIODT."