“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” alum Jen Shah is looking forward to a fresh start after being granted an early prison release. She served 33 months for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.
Shah’s Time Behind Bars
Shah has been serving at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, which is a minimum-security facility that houses other prominent inmates.
She plead guilty in July 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including the elderly.
“I am sorry. My actions have hurt innocent people,” Shah said at her sentencing. “I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution.”
Since her surrender, Shah’s sentence has been reduced multiple times due to good behavior, participation in prison programming, and financial payments she has begun making to victims. In total, Shah has been ordered to pay $6.5 million in restitution.
Her time was cut by one year in March 2023, an additional eight months in October 2024, and again in January, when her projected release moved to November 3, 2026. A fourth reduction came in August, moving her departure to August 30, 2026, according to PEOPLE.
Jen’s husband, University of Utah football coach Sharrieff “Coach” Shah, has remained by his wife’s side through these difficult times.
In August, Jen and Sharrieff celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary. She shared a post on Instagram that featured a photo of the pair during a visit Sharrieff made to the facility.
“Happy 31st Anniversary today to me and my baby! Words cannot express how much I love and appreciate you. You bring so much joy to my life & I am forever thankful for your overwhelming love and support as we approach this next chapter. Thank you for blessing me with two amazing young men. I love you so much & can’t wait to hold you again soon,” she wrote in the caption.
Shah’s Release Date Revealed
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has approved Shah for a December 10 departure date, according to an exclusive from PEOPLE. The decision marks the latest reduction to the six-and-a-half year sentence she’s been serving since February 2023 for her role in a long-running nationwide telemarketing scheme.
“Everyone’s very grateful for the BOP’s decision, especially because it means Jen will be able to reunite with her family for the holidays,” Shah’s manager, Chris Giovanni, told PEOPLE. “It’s a gift she doesn’t take for granted.”
“Jen’s in a really positive, hopeful place mentally,” he said. “She’s done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before. Her focus is on her family and building a healthier, more grounded life. She understands the seriousness of the mistakes she made and is excited to put this chapter behind her so that she can show everyone the woman she’s worked hard to become.”
A representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons concluded, “for privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss any incarcerated individual’s conditions of confinement or specific release plans.”
