Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Jen Shah arrested for alleged fraud and money laundering

Reality TV star and assistant Stuart Smith accused of defrauding ‘hundreds of victims’ in telemarketing scheme

Jennifer Shah, a star of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, is facing federal charges for her alleged involvement in a nationwide telemarketing scheme.

The reality star, 47, was arrested on Tuesday morning (30 March) alongside one of her assistants, Stuart Smith, 43. They have both been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on 'reality' television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah's 'first assistant', allegedly generated and sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam," Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release.

“In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims' money. Now, these defendants face time in prison for their alleged crimes.”

The indictment alleges that Ms Shah and Mr Smith carried out a nationwide telemarketing scheme with others' help between 2012 and March of this year. They stand accused of defrauding “hundreds of victims”.

Ms Shah and Mr Smith were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing, where they alleged victimised 10 or more persons over the age of 55, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years. They also were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

READ MORE: Why I’m ditching the guilt and leaning into my obsession with The Real Housewives

Ms Shah’s representatives did not have any further comment when reached by The Independent.

Mr Smith could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ms Shah, whose occupation is written as the “CEO of three marketing companies” (according to her official bio), first gained national attention last year on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, which is the latest installment in Bravo’s Housewives franchise.