The 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star pleaded guilty to charges stemming from wire fraud on Monday.
Jen Shah is speaking out following her guilty plea. On Monday, in a statement through her lawyer, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star had a message for her supporters.
"Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line,” the statement to ET from her attorney, Priya Chaudhry, read. “She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed. Ms. Shah is also sorry for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters. Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family."
On Monday, the 48-year-old Bravo celebrity appeared in a Manhattan courtroom and pleaded guilty to charges stemming from her alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme. During the unscheduled hearing, Shah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing.
The second count, conspiracy to commit money laundering, was dropped. Judge Sidney Stein warned Shah that she now faces up to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Along with her guilty plea, the Bravo celebrity agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay restitution up to $9.5 million.
Following her appearance in court, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York said, “Jennifer Shah was a key participant in a nationwide scheme that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims. These victims were sold false promises of financial security but instead Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it. This Office is committed to rooting out these schemes whatever form they take.”
In March, the reality TV star, along with her assistant, Stuart Smith, were arrested. In April, during her arraignment, Shah pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in an alleged long-running money laundering scam, which targeted people across the United States, many over the age of 55.
Shah’s trial is set to begin on July 18. The sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 28.
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