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“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah entered a guilty plea Monday to wire fraud charges stemming from a nationwide telemarketing scheme, which allegedly targeted elderly individuals.
She pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. In turn, count two, conspiracy to commit money laundering, was dropped.
The mother-of-two, who is married to University of Utah special teams coordinator Sharrieff “Coach” Shah, faces anywhere from 11 to 14 years in prison.
Shah spent more than one year professing her innocence after being arrested while cameras were rolling on the second season of “RHOSLC.”
“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah entered a guilty plea on Monday to “put this ordeal behind her,” according to her lawyer
JEN SHAH PLEADS GUILTY IN FRAUD CASE
Her lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jen’s guilty plea came at time when the reality television star simply wants to move forward with her life and “put this ordeal behind her.”
“Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed,” Chaudry said. “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.”
Her case will not go to trial, and her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 28.
Jen Shah pleaded guilty on Monday to fraud. The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star is reportedly still filming the Bravo show amid her court case
(Gabe Ginsberg/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank)
‘REAL HOUSEWIVES’ JEN SHAH NEEDS TO FIND ‘HUMILITY’ DURING TRIAL, TERESA GIUDICE’S ATTORNEY SAYS
The Bravo star originally insisted she had not taken a plea deal because she was “innocent.”
“I’m fighting this. I am innocent,” she told host Andy Cohen and her cast mates after Cohen pointed out the “success rate” of the New York State Attorney during the second season “Housewives” reunion.
“And I will fight for every person out there that can’t fight for themselves because they don’t have the resources or the means, so they don’t fight.”
Sources told People that despite Shah’s appearance at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in New York on Monday and the fact that filming for season three began nearly six months ago in January, cameras are going to continue rolling in Utah.
Shah professed her innocence during the “RHOSLC” season two reunion
(Heidi Gutman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images))
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“She’s had Meredith [Marks] and Heather [Gay] by her side, who have been very supportive of their friend during a difficult time,” a source said. “Obviously her legal troubles have not been easy for Jen, let alone making this decision to plead not guilty.”
This case is “a very big part of Jen’s story,” the insider added.
“Producers don’t want us to stop following it now. They’ll keep filming with her as long as they can, just like they did with Teresa [Giudice].”
Giudice, from the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” franchise, served one year in federal prison after striking a deal with prosecutors and pleading guilty to 41 counts of fraud with her ex-husband Joe Giudice. Upon completion of Joe’s 41-month sentence, he was deported to his native country, Italy, as he was never a US citizen.
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Fox News’ Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report
