Jennifer Shah, a reality show cast member, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, announced today that JENNIFER SHAH was sentenced to 78 months in prison by United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme. SHAH previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy in connection with telemarketing.

“With today’s sentence, Jennifer Shah finally faces the consequences of the many years she spent targeting vulnerable, elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. These people were enticed by false promises of financial security, but in reality, Shah and her co-conspirators stole their money and left them with nothing. This conviction and sentence show that we will continue to vigorously protect victims of financial fraud and hold those who engage in fraudulent schemes accountable.”

The following is stated in the Superseding Indictment and in court proceedings and filings:

SHAH was an integral leader of a vast, nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that victimised thousands of innocent people from at least 2012 until her arrest in March 2021. The scheme primarily involved selling so-called “business services” in connection with the victims’ ostensibly online businesses (the “Business Opportunity Scheme”). SHAH, in particular, knowingly and intentionally facilitated the sale of “leads” — contact information for potential victims identified as susceptible to the scheme’s lies — to sales floors that were perpetrating the Business Opportunity Scheme, and owned and operated one of the scheme’s sales floors during the latter portion of her participation in the scheme.

Many of the victims of SHAH were elderly or vulnerable. Many of those people experienced severe financial hardship and damage. Victims were repeatedly defrauded at the direction of SHAH until they had nothing left. She and her co-conspirators continued their behaviour until the victims’ bank accounts were depleted, their credit cards were maxed out, and there was nothing else to take.

SHAH was not deterred by the Federal Trade Commission’s investigations or enforcement actions, or by learning that dozens of her co-conspirators had been arrested, pled guilty, or were convicted at trial for their roles in the scheme. SHAH was well aware of these developments, and she went to increasingly extravagant lengths to conceal her criminal activity from the authorities.

She directed others to lie, she opened businesses and bank accounts in the names of others, she demanded cash payments, she directed others to delete text messages and electronic documents, she relocated some of her operations overseas, and she attempted to hide computers and other evidence from investigators. These efforts were not fleeting or limited in scope. She spent years attempting to conceal her continued involvement in the scheme.

SHAH, 49, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to five years of supervised release in addition to the prison term. She was also ordered to forfeit $6,500,000, 30 luxury items, and 78 counterfeit luxury items, as well as pay restitution of $6,645,251.

Mr. Williams praised the El Dorado Task Force of Homeland Security Investigations for its outstanding investigative work.

The Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit of the Office is in charge of this case. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Benet J. Kearney, Robert B. Sobelman, and Sheb Swett.

Reference-https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny