Jen Shah vows to ‘make amends’ in FINAL Instagram post before 6.5 year prison stint for fraud
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah uploaded one last Instagram post this Friday before beginning her six-and-a-half year prison sentence for fraud.
The 49-year-old was booked into FPC Bryan, a minimum security prison for women in Bryan, Texas, her lawyer confirmed to DailyMail.com. She was being processed at the prison after surrendering on Friday afternoon.
In her final Instagram post before entering the facility, she wrote: ‘In time, I pray that people will judge me for the way I responded to this sentence rather than only for the decisions that led me to prison.’
Shah added: ‘I am a believer in earning freedom, and I’ll work toward that goal by making things right with the people I hurt.’
In a statement, her attorney, Priya Chaudhry, told DailyMail.com she was ‘committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose’.
Headed for lock-up: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah uploaded one last Instagram post this Friday before beginning her six-and-a-half year prison sentence for fraud
How she was: Shah is pictured on a recent episode of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City
Shah’s Instagram message this Friday began: ‘I am surrendering to serve a sentence in federal prison today. It is a price I must pay for the bad decisions I made.’
She acknowledged: ‘People got hurt because of my decisions. While incarcerated, I will work to make amends and reconcile with the victims of my crime.’
Shah directed her followers to ‘a more complete video conversation that explains the release plan I created. It’s the line I have drawn, showing my commitment to work towards overcoming bad decisions I made during a personal crisis.’
The reality star continued: ‘In time, I pray that people will judge me for the way I responded to this sentence rather than only for the decisions that led me to prison.’
She concluded: ‘I’ll publish my work and make the road transparent, inviting others to hold me accountable. I am a believer in earning freedom, and I’ll work toward that goal by making things right with the people I hurt.’
The caption read: ‘**while Jen is away an administrator will be running her accounts to keep the #ShahSquad updated, thanks for your ongoing love and support.’
Shah, the loud-mouthed outcast of the Bravo show she appeared on, pleaded guilty to fraud last year in a sensational U-turn.
She had for months protested her innocence both on-air and on social media.
Contrite: She wrote: ‘In time, I pray that people will judge me for the way I responded to this sentence rather than only for the decisions that led me to prison’
Jen Shah (shown during her sentencing hearing in January) will report to prison today
Shah asked to be sent to FPC Bryan, a minimum security camp in Bryan, Texas
She admitted running a years-long telemarketing scheme which targeted vulnerable elderly people, duped them into buying fake business mentoring
‘Jen Shah’s resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding.
‘She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community.
‘No obstacle will deter Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she’s determined to make restitution to those whose lives she has impacted.
‘Her path ahead will be filled with challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is prepared to face these challenges head-on and emerge from this experience a better person who makes a positive impact on others.’
Shah and her son got matching tattoos yesterday ahead of the start of her sentence
At her sentencing hearing last month, Shah begged for mercy as she told the judge how sorry she was.
Shah’s victims were swept into never-ending payments or subscription services which they couldn’t – or didn’t know how to – get out of.
At her sentencing hearing, prosecutors told how she callously laughed with colleagues when some of the victims called them in tears begging to be released from the debts.
Federal prosecutors sought a prison term of 10 years for Shah while her attorneys suggested she should serve three.
They rejected her promises of remorse, and pointed to how she turned the criminal proceedings into a personality trait and line of merchandise.
‘For nearly a decade, the defendant was an integral leader of a wide-ranging, nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that victimized thousands of innocent people. Many of those people were elderly or vulnerable.
The 49-year-old is one of the most bombastic characters in the Bravo series she stars in
‘Many of those people suffered significant financial hardship and damage.
‘At the defendant’s direction, victims were defrauded over and over again until they had nothing left.
‘She and her co-conspirators persisted in their conduct until the victims’ bank accounts were empty, their credit cards were at their limits, and there was nothing more to take.
‘Despite the defendant’s best efforts, she got caught.
‘She then went on a public offensive and tried to profit off the charges by selling ‘Justice for Jen’ merchandise. She pled guilty at the eleventh hour, only after receiving the Government’s trial exhibits and witness statements.
‘In light of her conduct and her post-arrest behavior, her belated expressions of remorse ring hollow,’ US Attorney Damian Williams wrote.
