Jen Shah decided to plead not guilty to two counts against after hiring a D.C. lawyer to represent her. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star has found herself in hot water after she was arrested for taking part in a telemarketing scheme that prayed on older adults.
News broke on March 30 that the star had been arrested after telling Bravo production she had a family emergency. Kiersten Ann Fletcher, who is the federal prosecutor on the case, revealed that there had been an ongoing investigation into Shah since 2017. The premise of the scam was to build shell companies, and the government revealed that one of the companies was called Master Pro Group which was co-owned by Shah. The prosecutor stated that the Shah made $5 million in crime processed.
On Friday, the 47-year-old star appeared in court to plead not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to Us Weekly, she appeared with her Utah-based lawyer, Clayton Simms, and her D.C. lawyer Henry Asbill, a well-known defense attorney who deals with white-collar crimes. Bravo fan learned that the reality star had to call into her court hearing via Zoom after her original date was postponed.
Federal prosecutors are not looking at jail time but are asking to impose a $1 million recognizance bond for the housewife. The money will have to be secured in cash or property and requires two signatures. But it was noted that Shah is currently renting the property that was shown on the reality show and actually doesn't have any property in her name.
While a trial date has been set for October 2, fans are still shocked how the incident all went down. Shah was filming with the rest of the women for season 2 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City when she quickly rushed away from production, only to be arrested on the side of the road. If the Bravo cameras were rolling, the footage would make for a great opening scene. Many feel Shah will be back at the helm since she brought so much drama to season 1. It will be very interesting to see how the other women, especially those who stuck up for her, react to her new look if she has to wear an orange jumpsuit.
Source: Us Weekly