Teresa Guidice Argues No Comparison Between Her Past Conviction And Jen Shah's Crimes
Jen Shah pleaded guilty after being convicted of wire fraud. The "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star lead a telemarketing scheme that targeted seniors. "Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line," her attorney, Priya Chaudhry, told NBC News. "She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed." The lawyer mentioned that she pleaded guilty because she felt that she disappointed her family.
On January 6, 2023, Shah was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The reality television star was also ordered to forfeit $6.5 million and pay $9.5 million in restitution, and "intends to repay every cent," according to a statement obtained by USA Today. She is expected to start her prison sentence on February 17.
The sentencing hasn't been easy on Shah. "Jen's been a complete wreck since the sentencing," a source told Life & Style. "She doesn't want to go to prison, and she still hasn't wrapped her head around it. She can't stop sobbing." The insider mentioned that her husband has been her support system. "She's a complete mess," the source added. Shah isn't the first "Real Housewives" star who had to spend some time in prison for fraud, as Teresa Giudice was sentenced to prison for a little over a year, but the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star doesn't want to be compared to Shah's situation.
Teresa is tired of being compared to other Real Housewives who have gone to prison
According to E! News, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice were found guilty of 39 counts of fraud, including wire and bankruptcy fraud. In 2014, Joe was sentenced to 41 months in prison while Teresa was sentenced to 15 months. In 2018, it was reported that Joe was deported to Italy which ultimately ended the 20-year marriage with his wife.
Now that "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for wire fraud, Teresa is fed up with people comparing the two situations. "I would not steal anybody's money," she claimed on her "Namaste B$tches" podcast. "I would not do that. That's so bad." She then went on to explain what her situation was, claiming she was merely signing papers. Guidice swore that she would never steal money from others. "I can't relate to that, because I would never do something like that, you know?" she added.
At BravoCon in October 2022, Teresa expressed that she wasn't thrilled that she was "used as an example" of reality television stars who have served time in prison. "Because I was on TV — if I was just a regular housewife, I probably wouldn't have went to jail," she said (via People).