Following her shocking arrest earlier this year, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah is now formally requesting to have her criminal case dropped. The reality TV personality was arrested in March, as cameras were rolling and filming of season two of the franchise installment was taking place. The following month, Shah pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit both wire fraud and money laundering.
The 47-year-old is accused of heading a telemarketing scheme spanning six states that targeted elders by encouraging them to invest in shoddy online projects and purchase phony services. The scam is alleged to have begun nearly a decade ago, in 2012, and was active until as recently as March. Shah, a Utah native, reportedly netted nearly 5 million dollars in profit as a result of the years-long scheme. The RHOSLC star is currently out on a $1 million bail.
As reported in Page Six, Shah has now requested the judge drop her criminal case citing "dry eyes" that resulted in the star waiving her Miranda rights without her knowledge. In a court affidavit, Shah said that while she did sign a document waiving these rights, she was unable to read it. She elaborated saying, “my contact lenses, which were in my eyes, were dry, and I did not have my reading glasses, so my vision was blurry and I was unable to read the paper in front of me.”
The star said she was “very confused and emotionally off-balance from the strange series of events,”’ at one point believing she may have been the victim of false identification. In an affidavit, the RHOSLC star explained that she initially believed the arrest to be connected to a 2017 New York case in which she obtained an order of protection after she was a victim of theft and assault. The star’s defense also accused law enforcement of “trickery” and criticized the “bare-bones” indictment.
Fans were wary early on of Shah’s finances, many questioning the source of the reality TV personality's income. On the show, Shah was often seen donning expensive designer outfits with an entourage of assistants in tow. Despite attempting to appear busy, it was often unclear how Shah actually earned money, unlike some of her fellow castmates like Mary M. Cosby, the wealthy First Lady of her Pentecostal congregation, or RHOSLC star Heather Gay, a successful small business owner.
Shah joins the ranks of a number of housewives who have had brushes with the law, though she reserves the distinction of being the first to be arrested while cameras were rolling. Filming of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is currently underway in the Beehive State. Fans of the installment can hopefully expect more icy drama in late 2021.
Source: Page Six