Reality TV star Jen Shah is now expected to be released from federal custody earlier than originally planned.
According to People magazine, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has approved a Dec. 10 release date for Shah. It marks a significant decrease from her initial 6½-year sentence. The former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star has been incarcerated since February 2023 after pleading guilty in July 2022, and her time behind bars as bars has been reduced multiple times due to good behavior.
Shah admitted to wire fraud, telling the court she and her partner were “offering services with little to no value. We used interstate telephones and emails,” she said. “I knew many of the purchasers were over the age of 55. I am so sorry.”
“My actions have hurt innocent people,” Shah said at her sentencing, per People. “I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution.”
The Bureau of Prisons cited her good behavior, participation in prison programs and beginning repayment of the court-ordered $6.5 million in restitution as reasons for the accelerated release.
Shah has been housed at the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, a facility known for holding several high-profile inmates, including Elizabeth Holmes, convicted in the Theranos fraud case and Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking connected to the late Jeffrey Epstein, as Deseret News previously reported.
Despite the challenges of incarceration, Shah has maintained a strong support system and connection with her family, per People. Her husband, University of Utah football coach Sharrieff Shah, has remained closely involved in her life, with the couple celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary in August in a post on Instagram.
Earlier in her sentence, in a letter to People, Shah reflected on her first year in custody.
“I am most grateful for the aspects of my life that have never left me: my family and faith,” she wrote. She added that she prays daily for the strength to believe she deserves a second chance. “I am finding the courage to set my fear and guilt aside.”
Chris Giovanni, Shah’s manager, told People, “everyone’s very grateful for the BOP’s decision, especially because it means Jen will be able to reunite with her family for the holidays. ... It’s a gift she doesn’t take for granted.”
“She’s done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before. Her focus is on her family and building a healthier, more grounded life,” the statement continued. “She understands the seriousness of the mistakes she made and is excited to put this chapter behind her so that she can show everyone the woman she’s worked hard to become.”
As for whether Shah will return to “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” fans are already speculating. Her co-stars have offered mixed reactions on whether they would welcome her back to the Bravo series once she is eligible, according to Us Weekly.