‘Real Housewives’ star Jen Shah will serve jail time

Jen Shah will go to jail after pleading guilty to fraud charges in July.

Shah will not go to trial, which was scheduled to begin on July 18. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. In turn, the second count, conspiracy to commit money laundering, was dropped.

“Jennifer Shah played a key role in a nationwide program targeting elderly and vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release.

“These victims were sold false promises of financial security, but instead Shah and his co-conspirators swindled them out of their savings and gave them nothing,” the statement continued. “This office is committed to rooting out such schemes, whatever their form.”

JEN SHAH PLEADS GUILTY IN FRAUD CASE

Shah originally faced up to 30 years in prison, but his plea deal contained a sentencing directive, according to Courthouse News. The reality TV star can be sentenced to a prison term of 135 to 168 months, or 11 to 14 years.

Shah is not the first reality TV star to spend time behind bars. ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ star Teresa Giudice spent nearly a year in prison. Additionally, “Chrisley Knows Best” stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were recently convicted of fraud and tax evasion.

Giudice’s attorney told Fox News Digital what really happens to reality TV stars behind bars.

The criminal justice system wants to “send a message”

Attorney James Leonard Jr. noted that celebrities can sometimes be used by the criminal justice system as an “example.”

“I think the criminal justice system sometimes has a very heavy hand when the offender is someone notable, whether it’s someone on television, an athlete, or someone who is known to the general public.” , did he declare. “I believe that often, and it’s unfortunate, but often the criminal justice system seeks to set an example for individuals like that.”

The Chrisleys face up to 30 years in prison. Both men pleaded not guilty to their tax evasion and evasion charges, but were found guilty at trial in June.

Todd and Julie Chrisley face up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of fraud and tax evasion.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/ACMA2017)

“The government makes examples of these individuals, and they’re treated more harshly than your average citizen,” Leonard Jr. said. “And that’s to send a message that if it can happen to them, it can happen to you.”

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Life in prison is proving “extremely difficult”

Jen Shah will not be housed in what many think of when they hear the word “jail”. Leonard Jr. explained that women incarcerated for white-collar crimes are typically sent to what the Bureau of Prisons calls “camp-type settings.”

But although he is not locked in a cell behind bars, the time spent in prison is still “extremely difficult”, according to the lawyer.

“It’s extremely difficult because you’re away from your loved ones,” Leonard Jr. told Fox News Digital. “You’re a long way from the amenities that you’re used to, your lifestyle, and it’s very difficult in that sense.”

However, reality TV stars and celebrities have found ways to focus on themselves.

“They leave a lot of their stress at home. They can do everything outside. So when they’re inside, they’re in a unique position where their only focus is on themselves. “

“So they usually read a lot. They exercise. They work out.”

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The experience can change you, says the reality TV star’s lawyer

Leonard Jr. is representing Giudice, who served 11 months of her 15-month sentence after being convicted of mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud in 2014.

She and her husband, Joe Giudice, received a 39-count indictment in the case.

Teresa Giudice spent 11 months in prison after being sentenced to 15 months for her fraud case in 2014.
(AP)

“Today I took responsibility for a series of mistakes that I made several years ago,” Giudice said in a statement at the time. “I have said throughout that I respect due process, and therefore intend to address the court directly at sentencing. I will describe the choices I have made, continue to take responsibility for my decisions and express my remorse to Judge Salas and the public.. I am heartbroken that this affects my family – especially my four young daughters, who mean more to me than anything in the world.

Giudice’s experience in prison “has completely changed [her] physically, mentally, emotionally,” he told Fox News Digital.

“She came out with a very different mindset than she came in with.”

“Some people will say that being incarcerated can actually save you from the aging process,” Leonard Jr. continued. “Because all the stressors that we have in life and all of these stressors that these high level have, they no longer have those stressors when they are incarcerated.”

Leonard Jr. had some advice for reality TV stars or those looking to become one.

“People who find themselves in the spotlight or who put themselves in the spotlight by participating in reality television programs should have their affairs in order,” he told Fox News Digital.