Jen Shah
Jen Shah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jennifer Lui October 4, 1973 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Education | University of Utah |
| Occupation |
|
| Criminal charge | Wire fraud |
| Criminal status | Released December 10, 2025 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | dearjenshah |
Jennifer Shah (née Lui; born October 4, 1973) is an American television personality and former cast member of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
In 2022, she pleaded guilty to charges related to a telemarketing scheme that targeted elderly and other individuals, resulting in a three year prison sentence.
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]Shah is of Hungarian, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Tongan, and Hawaiian descent. She moved to Utah from Hawaii when she was six years old.[1] She is the cousin of filmmaker Tony Vainuku.[2]
She met her husband, Sharrieff Shah, while they were students attending the University of Utah.[3] The couple have two sons together.[4] She was originally raised in the Mormon faith, but converted to Islam after her husband, a Black football coach at the University of Utah, expressed concerns about the Mormon church's historical exclusion of Black members.[1][5]
Career
[edit | edit source]In November 2022, Shah signed with CGEM Talent for agency representation.[6] She established three businesses named JXA Fashion, Shah Beauty, and Shah Lashes.[7]
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
[edit | edit source]Shah gained public recognition as a cast member of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. She joined the series in its first season, which premiered in November 2020.[8] Shah was on the show for three consecutive seasons.[9]
During her time on the show, she was known for organizing an estimated $80,000 birthday party for her co-star Meredith Marks.[1]
Legal issues
[edit | edit source]In March 2021, Shah was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a telemarketing scheme. She pleaded not guilty to both charges a couple of days later.[10][11] Her legal troubles were documented in the Hulu film Housewife and the Shah Shocker, which aired in November the same year.[12]
The charges involved a scam targeting elderly people and other individuals with services falsely marketed as business development tools, such as "website building and coaching".[13]
In July 2022, Shah reversed her plea. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.[14] In January 2023, she received a sentence of 6½ years in prison, which she began in February 2023.[15][16][17] She served her sentence at a minimum security prison in Bryan, Texas, called Federal Prison Camp.[18] Her sentence was reduced by one year and eight months in March 2023, October 2024, January and August 2025. Shah was released from prison on December 10, 2025, her release date was originally set for August 30, 2026.[19]
References
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- ^ "Jen Shah's scam victims speak out", ABCnews.com 20 Jan 2023; accessed 27 October 2023
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External links
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- 1973 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American criminals
- 21st-century American women
- American Muslims
- American people convicted of mail and wire fraud
- American people of Tongan descent
- American people of Native Hawaiian descent
- Criminals from Utah
- Converts from Mormonism
- Mass media people from Salt Lake City
- University of Utah alumni
- Converts to Islam
- Television personalities from Utah
- Native Hawaiian people
- Native Hawaiian women
- Tongan people
- Tongan women