More than 30 different iterations of The Real Housewives exist out there in the world, detailing the opulent lives of a range of women from across the globe.

Here in the states, the eleven regional versions of the series are most popular, with people nearby — or in — the show’s titular cities gobbling up all that area-specific drama like it’s Thanksgiving Day. But in other areas of the world, people are more focused on the 21 international adaptations, which are set in cities like Dubai, Sydney, Athens, Nairobi, Auckland, and Bangkok.

Regardless of where it’s set, people have expectations of any Real Housewives offering. Drama is the name of the game in this franchise, and — while each iteration is absolutely seeped in its own brand of spectacle — The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City currently takes the cake. Well, Jen Shah — a staple of the RHOSLC cast — is, at least. And she’s certainly dished up plenty of drama over the years, the most shocking of which is undeniably the criminal charges for which she’s currently serving jail time.

Jen Shah’s career

Shah lives a luxurious life — that much is clear from her time on RHOSLC. The majority of this lifestyle is bankrolled by her time in the Real Housewives family, along with her husband’s work as an assistant coach for the University of Utah’s football team and her business pursuits. Over the years, Shah has been attached to several businesses, including JXA Fashion, Shah Beauty, and The Real Shah Lashes, but it is her marketing firm that pulled in the real money — and, eventually, fraud charges.

Why is Jen Shah in prison?

In 2021, an investigation into Shah’s business practices found the now 50-year-old guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, after the star spent nearly a decade defrauding largely senior victims. The telemarketing scheme reportedly targeted older of the public and offered a range of services, many of which were misleading, and ultimately leeched hundreds of thousands of dollars from a range of people.

A judge found Shah guilty and, after Shah pled guilty in 2022, sentenced her to six and a half years in prison. The sentence for similar crimes can sometimes stretch between 20 and 30 years, so the Bravo star got off easy, but she’ll still serve more than a half-decade behind bars. Her prison sentence began in February 2023.

What is Jen Shah’s net worth now?

Back before her case made it to court, Shah was reportedly worth around $3 million, at least. The accuracy of that number is uncertain, given Shah’s shady business practices, but there’s no argument that she was a millionaire. Following her sentencing, however, the former RHOSLC star was ordered to pay $9.5 million in restitution, according to NBC News. She’s already paid $6.5 million, according to Women’s Health, but has a few million more to go before she’s back at even.

By the time she’s out of prison, this number likely will have dropped even more, but as of 2023 Shah’s net worth is estimated at less than $30,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That’s a far cry from the millions she boasted only a few years ago, but it hardly counts as her money, at this point. That amount — and plenty more — is still owed to Shah’s victims, which will likely leave her with nothing but zeroes in her bank by the time she’s no longer behind bars.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, Jen Shah has been sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The 49-year-old reality star is guilty of running a telemarketing scheme that cheated thousands of people, many over the age of 55, out of money. 

U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein delivered the verdict Friday morning, denying Shah’s initial request for a three-year sentence. In addition to her six-and-a-half-year sentence, he ordered her to pay up to $9.5 million in restitution fees, and five years of supervision upon her release from prison.

Leading up to her sentencing, Shah sold “Justice For Jen” merchandise online, which Shah’s defense attorney Priyah Chaudhry said was intended to go toward her restitution fees. The items are no longer for sale. 

After being publicly arrested in March 2021, Shah maintained she knew nothing of her alleged crimes, and pled not guilty. However, on July 11 of the same year, she changed her plea to guilty. Her assistant Stuart Smith, who aided and abetted Shah with her telemarketing scheme, also pled not guilty, but like her, changed his plea in July.

Shah remained on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City throughout the show’s second and third seasons, the latter of which premiered as recently as Sept. 2022. Her tagline for season two, which was used against her in court, was, “the only thing I’m guilty of is being ‘Shah-mazin’.”

Shah ran her scheme for over eight years, from 2012 to her arrest in March 2021, according to the indictment. “She ran her own floor and trained and hired people here in Manhattan for years,” said prosecutor Robert Sobelman on the courtroom floor. 

“This crime was extensive, long-ranging. She had many opportunities to turn back,” said Judge Stein in court. “The sentence is appropriate considering the time and harm it caused.”

Shah will have to turn herself in to federal prison on Feb. 17.

Shah appeared before US District Judge Sidney Stein today at 10:30 a.m. in Manhattan federal court where she changed her plea. Stein then dropped the additional charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Stein advised Shah she faced a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, but that the of her plea agreement would have her serve 11 to 14 years and provide for restitution of up to $9.5 million.

Shah had strenuously denied the charges against her up to this point. As per the of her agreement, Shah itted to the court that she had committed “Wire fraud, offering services with little to no value. We used interstate telephones and emails. I knew many of the purchasers were over the age of 55. I am so sorry,” according to transcriptions tweeted by Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press. When asked by the judge if she was aware that her behavior was wrong and illegal, Shah answered “Yes, Your Honor.”

Shah is alleged to have defrauded hundreds of individuals, specifically targeting those over 55, out of money for worthless services and investments via a national telemarketing scheme. Her arrest in March was captured during the filming of Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. It is not known at this point if Shah will return for Season 3.

Shah’s sentencing is scheduled for November.