'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Star Jen Shah Reports to Prison to Begin Serving 6.5 Years in Fraud Case
Jen Shah has reported to prison, ET can confirm. On Friday, the disgraced Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star went to Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, to begin serving six and a half years following her fraud case conviction.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told ET that Shah is in its custody. The spokesperson added, "For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not release information on the conditions of confinement for any inmate or group of inmates."
Shah's case lawyer, Ronald Richards, took to Twitter and said that the 49-year-old reality star is "safely in custody at Bryan Federal Prison Camp. Let's talk in 2029."
Shortly thereafter, Shah released a statement on Instagram, revealing that "an administrator will be running her accounts to keep the #ShahSquad updated" during her prison sentence.
"I am surrendering to serve a sentence in federal prison today. It is the price I must pay for the bad decisions I made," Shah's statement read. "People got hurt because of my decisions. While incarcerated, I will work to make amends and reconcile with the victims of my crime."
"In the link in my bio, I offer a more complete video conversation that explains the release plan I created. It's the line I have drawn, showing my commitment to work toward overcoming bad decisions I made during a personal crisis," the statement continued. "In time, I pray that people will judge me for the way I responded to this sentence, rather than only for the decisions that led me to prison."
Shah concluded by stating, "I'll publish my work and make the road transparent, inviting others to hold me accountable. I am a believer in earning freedom, and I'll work toward that goal by making things right with the people I hurt."
Just hours before going into custody, Shah granted an interview saying she's going into prison with only two items -- her Quran and an 18-page release plan, which she said "has 11 different sections that is going to help me stay on track, hold me accountable, and it's something that I'm going to build on while I'm in prison."
Shah also revealed she'll be documenting everything while she's in prison, noting that her "road map" journal will be available through a subscription-based website.
"This release plan is not only my road map but it’s what is going to hold me accountable for everything that I told the judge at sentencing," she explained. "That I will make sure that I make these victims whole. This release plan is going to help me be successful so that I can do that, so that I can prove worthy to my family of all the love and support they’ve shown me throughout this entire process."
FPC Bryan is a 37-acre minimum-security women's prison camp, currently housing 559 total inmates, according to its website. While serving her time, Shah will still be able to buy everyday items, including mascara, bronzer and blush, according to their commissary list.
Just before she entered prison, Shah's lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, released a statement to ET.
"Jen Shah’s resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding. She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community. No obstacle will deter Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she's determined to make restitution to those whose lives she has impacted," reads the statement. "Her path ahead will be filled with challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is prepared to face these challenges head-on and emerge from this experience a better person who makes a positive impact on others."
As for how her prison sentence will affect ROSLC, a source tells ET, "Season 4 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City starts filming next week, so the immediate aftershocks of Jen starting her sentence will likely be a hot topic of discussion amongst the returning cast."
The reality star will have a famous inmate join her soon -- Elizabeth Holmes is due to begin her sentence at FPC Bryan on April 27.
Prior to Shah’s sentencing, a source told ET, "Jen and her family are believers in faith and have been relying on that a lot lately. Jen is nervous about the outcome today, but she’s ready to serve her time and put everything behind her. Jen's husband and children have been a great support system for her, and her family is with her today."
After the sentence was handed down on Jan. 6, the reality star tearfully apologized to her husband, Sharrieff, and her two sons, Sharrieff Jr. and Omar, who, according to ABC News, were seated behind her.
"I am profoundly and deeply sorry," Shah said, the news outlet reported.
ABC News also reported that Judge Sidney Stein relayed he was "a little concerned" that the Housewives' manager was in the courtroom and warned her against trying to profit from her crime. The judge also urged her to focus on restitution to the victims involved.
Along with her guilty plea, the Bravo celebrity agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay restitution of up to $9.5 million.
In December, Shah filed a petition with the presiding judge asking for a reduced sentence of three years behind bars, instead of the advisory sentencing of 11 to 14 years in prison.
In January, after her sentencing, Shah opened up about deciding not to sit down for an interview with Bravo’s Andy Cohen. Shah took to Instagram to share that she wanted to tell her own story, and didn’t feel that could be done in an interview with Cohen.
"On January 6th, I stood before Judge Stein and asked him to see me not as a fictionalized character, but as the real Jen Shah. I am now at a point, legally, emotionally and mentally, where I can answer some questions and provide a few unknown details about my case," Shah wrote. "I want and need to share these critical facts. I owe it to those that love and support me to hear the truth."
"I will not be doing the 1:1 with Andy Cohen and Bravo because of their unwillingness to remove contractual provisions that would allow the network to legally make misrepresentations of me and my story, relating to any and all topics, prior to and during the course of my participation," she continued. "The specific 1 on 1 interview was not part of my RHOSLC reality TV contract. I promised myself and my loving family that I would not allow this portion of my life to be sensationalized or inaccurately conveyed."
Later in January, Jen took to Instagram to share that she would soon be telling her story on her own website, DearJenShah.com.
"Thank you to my loyal fans who have remained supportive through this tough, yet very enlightening time in my life. With the strength of my husband, children, close family, and friends -- I am ready to tell my true story without any misrepresentations or editing present. Please visit DearJenShah.com and subscribe as I tell my truth, and give you an inside look into the real Jen Shah. More details to come…♥️," she wrote.
Shah has yet to tell her story.
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