“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah likened her first day in federal prison to a “BravoCon meet and greet” in her first interview since being released.
Jen Shah was sentenced to almost eight years in prison in January 2023 after pleading guilty to her role in running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims.
Jen Shah Talks About First Day In Prison, Said It Was Like A ‘BravoCon Meet And Greet’
Speaking with PEOPLE, Shah opened up about life as a public figure behind bars.
“Listen, it was like a BravoCon meet and greet once I got there,” she said. “Literally.”
BravoCon is the network’s massive fan convention featuring greater than 100 Bravolebs held every other yr.
“I didn’t know that there have been so many fans there,” Shah continued. “I had people coming as much as me, saying, ‘Hi, I’m the President of the Salt Lake City fan club out of Louisiana.”
Jen Shah Says Being A Former ‘Real Housewives’ Star Brought A Lot Of Attention To Her In Prison
The eye wasn’t all the time welcomed, though. Based on Shah, the staff at FPC Bryan in Texas did things that brought “unnecessary” attention to her.
“I used to be required to hold a pink card,” she said, describing it because the “scarlet letter.”
Shah explained that wearing the pink card placed a goal on her back and said it also got here with strict requirements.
“I needed to carry it around and check in with officers every two hours,” she said.
Jen Shah Admits She Made The ‘Fallacious Decisions’ Before Being Sentenced
“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” viewers saw a portion of Shah’s legal battles during earlier seasons of the show. Nevertheless, her lawyers barred her from sharing an excessive amount of information on camera.
Based on the Department of Justice, Shah pleaded guilty in June 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in reference to telemarketing.
US Attorney Damiian Williams said Shah was a “key participant” in a nationwide plot that “targeted the elderly, vulnerable victims” by selling “false guarantees of monetary security.”
The press release claimed that Shah, together with others, engaged in a “widespread coordinated effort” to get victims to speculate in firms that had little to no value.
In her interview with PEOPLE, Shah admitted she was “mistaken” for what she did. “I made mistaken decisions. I must have done things otherwise. I must have been more diligent. And I’m deeply remorseful and sorry for my actions and in my opinion. I take full responsibility,” she added.
Shah Details How She Became Involved In The Reported Scheme That Sent Her To Prison
The reported scheme used lead lists containing customer information that had been sold to different telemarketing floors to pressure them into purchasing more services.
The US government alleged that Shah was the mastermind behind the lists, ultimately controlling what was offered and the way much to charge.
“It’s an extended and a really complex journey that brought me up to now,” Shah said about her role within the ordeal. “And without re-litigating it, I became involved within the case because I made horrible business decisions and I disregarded huge red flags. I allowed the lines to be blurred between personal friendships and ethical business practices. And in essence, I trusted the mistaken people at a really vulnerable time in my life.”
Shah went on to say that she believed she was doing the “right thing” at one point. “I used to be working under individuals who were running these firms,” she said.
Down the road, nonetheless, the individuals Shah worked with allegedly began working with others, who engaged in unethical behavior. “Once that initial success was happening, things were happening beyond the purpose of sale with that customer that I didn’t find out about,” she added.
Could Shah Return To The ‘Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City’?
Now that Shah is a free woman, could she return to the “Real Housewives” franchise, as among the network’s other previously arrested stars have, corresponding to Teresa Giudice?
It’s hard to say for certain; nonetheless, Shah’s former co-star Meredith Marks seemed open to the thought in 2024.
“Accountability goes a great distance in our circle,” she told PEOPLE. “If you happen to say, ‘Look, I screwed up and I made a mistake and I’m sorry’ — that matters. If she’s taking accountability and doing what she must do to make it higher, that’s the perfect she will be able to do immediately. There’s nothing else she will be able to do beyond that.”
Shah can have just a few others to persuade, though. Based on The Blast, Bravo’s head honcho and “Housewives” godfather Andy Cohen previously said he “never” desires to see Shah again.