CNN
—
Jennifer Shah of the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast has been ordered to lose more than a dozen designer and fake handbags, a stolen fox-mink, and luxury jewelry as part of her plea bargain for defrauding hundreds of victims. in a telemarketing program that has been going on for years.
In a court filing on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that US authorities could initiate the confiscation process for dozens of necklaces, rings, designer jackets and handbags confiscated by the government, and eventually sell those items to get back money for victims of Shah’s scam.
According to the seizure order, the government confiscated more than a hundred items from the Shah’s house while carrying out a search warrant in March 2021. Authorities collected more than 70 fake Chanel, Dior, Fendi and Hermes bags and jewelry, in addition to Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Versace bags and cases.
A polarizing member of the “Real Housewives” series, Shah pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit telegram fraud. Prosecutors said that since 2012 Shah and others had sold so-called “commercial services”, including website design services, to their alleged victims, some elderly people without computers, as well as allegedly identifying and selling the names of Shah and others. the number of people they know will be scammed by others.
Shah said at the time he pleaded guilty, he knew his actions were wrong, that “many were hurt” and was sorry.
US Attorney General Damian Williams said that Shah at the time was “a key participant in a nationwide scheme targeting elderly, vulnerable victims” and made false promises to them about financial security.
“Shah and his collaborators defrauded them of their savings and left them nothing to show,” Williams said.
Shah is scheduled to be sentenced next month. As part of the plea deal, it must forfeit $6.5 million and pay up to $9.5 million in compensation to the victims.
Shah was arrested in 2021 while filming the second season of the reality TV series Bravo, which featured the show where Shah and his fellow cast members speculated and discussed his guilt. Shah had repeatedly professed his innocence when episodes aired, and went so far as to say “The only thing I’m guilty of is being Shah-mazing” in a tagline for the show’s promos.