Yikes, things aren’t looking good for Jen Shah!
According to a new report from HollywoodLife, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star will likely face 5-10 years in prison if she’s found guilty of wire fraud and money laundering!
“She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years on the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She also faces another 20 years on the money laundering charge.” lawyer Brandon Sample, who specializes in federal white-collar crime cases, tells HollywoodLife.
“The Court has the power to run the sentences consecutive; however, it rarely happens. I expect that if the government is able to determine her guilt, the sentence in the case would be most likely 5 – 10 years, but that is just a guess,” he explained.
Besides prison time, the RHOSLC star is also facing major fines and losing all her assets.
“The Government will likely seek to freeze and confiscate assets that derive from her alleged criminal activity,” Sample explained. “If she is found guilty, these assets could be sold by the Government to help make restitution to victims in the case.”
If Jen is found guilty, things will get even uglier for the reality TV star. According to one legal expert, Jen will be on the hook for up to $1.5 million dollars in fines if found guilty.
“The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a $1 million fine. The money laundering charge carries a max $500,000 fine,” Sample noted.
However, criminal defense attorney Sharen Ghatan points out that there’s a chance Jen could avoid jail time altogether.
“Her attorneys will likely emphasize her clean criminal record, assuming she has that and will highlight a lack of “crimes of moral turpitude,” Ghatan explained.
“It’s especially concerning that there are other defendants,” she continued. “It’s highly likely that someone will rat someone else out. [Jen] Shah should use any inside knowledge to better her situation and bargain down to a lesser offense or best yet, a dismissal, in exchange for information about a ‘bigger fish.’”
Ghatan adds that Jen is presumed innocent until found guilty, noting, “The prosecutor needs to prove that she’s guilty. Shah is presumed innocent.”
RHOSLC will return to Bravo for season 2 in late 2021.
Thoughts on this all? Do you think Jen will go to jail? Sound off below!
Follow AllAboutTRH On Instagram.
Follow AllAboutTRH On Twitter.
Like AllAboutTRH On Facebook.