Who is Jen Shah? ‘Real Housewives’ star to gets early prison release — Why is American tv personality in jail?

Jen Shah, a former reality TV show star, who is serving jail term after pleading guilty to running a nationwide telemarketing scam, will be released from prison early, said a report.

Jen Shah is best known for the ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’.

The PEOPLE reported that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has approved a December 10 departure.

Shah was arrested in 2021 and later, she was convicted for her role in a nationwide telemarketing scheme.

She has been in jail since February 2023, to serve a six-and-a-half-year sentence originally issued.

Currently, she is held in custody at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, a minimum-security facility that also houses Elizabeth Holmes and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Shah's manager Chris Giovanni said that everyone's very grateful for the Federal Bureau of Prisons'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," the manager added.

Giovanni claimed that Jen has done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before.

"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."

According to USA Today, before sentencing, Shah told a judge that she took part in the telemarketing fraud for nearly a decade, beginning in 2012.

She said she knew she was teaming up with others to market products "that had little or no value."

"I knew this was wrong and that many people were harmed, and I'm so sorry," she told Judge Sidney H. Stein at the time.

What is the case?

— Shah was arrested in March 2021 in connection with the wire fraud conspiracy. She initially denied the allegations after her arrest.

— In 2023, Jen Shah pleaded guilty to running a nationwide telemarketing scam.

— Prosecutors said Shah was the ringleader of a network of more than two-dozen people indicted in the scheme.

— Shah admitted to luring thousands of elderly victims.

— Shah told the court that she was ‘profoundly and deeply sorry’ for what she had done and was alone responsible forterrible decisions.

— District Judge Sidney Stein delivered a verdict and sentenced her to 6.5 years in prison.

— She was also ordered to forfeit $6.5 million in assets and pay as much in restitution to victims as well.

— She was also asked to surrender a laundry list of luxury goods she acquired over the years.