The second season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City hasn’t been filming for long, but there’s already tons of drama, and Jen Shah’s arrest may have been caught by the cameras. A lot of viewers were shocked when news of Jen Shah’s arrest surfaced this week. She’s managed to rub viewers the wrong way during season one. Her recent leaked audio scandal and more recent arrest on fraud and money laundering charges mean that she is now the franchise’s main villain.
It turns out that the cameras were rolling before Jen’s arrest. The ladies were together filming when Jen was arrested over claims she “allegedly generated and sold ‘lead lists’ of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release. After just one season on Bravo, Jen is now facing possible prison time. Jen, along with her assistant Stuart Smith and other co-conspirators, is being charged for allegedly defrauding hundreds of people in a nationwide telemarketing scheme.
Fans are wondering how this will play out next season, and it appears that viewers will get an inside look. “Jen was filming with a few of the other women present when she was arrested,” a source told Us Weekly. Jen was reportedly talking with Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, and Meredith Marks before her arrest. Her co-stars “were completely shocked when Jen was taken away.” The source added, “The women were all about the take a trip to Colorado in the coming days. The women aren’t sure if they are still going yet.” In a separate post shared by Real Housewives Franchise, an insider claims Jen was allegedly tipped off by her husband about the arrest.
After reportedly telling the group she needed to go tend to her husband in the hospital, she quickly left and was picked up by her aunt. Heather, Lisa, and Meredith were reportedly in a van, watching police put handcuffs on Jen. It looks like the entire arrest will possibly be aired next season with first-person accounts. This is a new landmark in Real Housewives history, as other stars in other franchises have faced legal issues, but haven’t been arrested on felony fraud and money laundering charges while the cameras were rolling.
In light of Jen’s latest two scandals, it’s clear that she has dramatic storylines for next season. However, the new Bravo star may not be able to complete the season as a free woman. The charges against Shah and her assistant are very serious. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reality star is facing a maximum sentence of 30 years for the wire fraud charges and an additional 20 years for the money laundering charges.
