Jen Shah has been released from federal custody, closing a chapter that reshaped both her public image and her place in the Real Housewives universe.
The former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member was released early Wednesday, Dec. 10, after serving nearly three years in prison for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme. Shah, 52, exited the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, where she had been incarcerated since Feb. 17, 2023, according to confirmation provided to PEOPLE.
Transitioning Out of Federal Custody
Following her departure from FPC Bryan, Shah was transferred to community confinement overseen by the Bureau of Prisons’ Phoenix Residential Reentry Management Office. Under Bureau of Prisons policy, that placement can include home confinement or time at a residential reentry center, often referred to as a halfway house.
“We can confirm that Jennifer Shah transferred on December 10, 2025, from the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan to community confinement overseen by the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) Phoenix Residential Reentry Management (RRM) Office,” a BOP spokesperson told PEOPLE. “Community confinement means the inmate is in either home confinement or a Residential Reentry Center (RRC, or halfway house). For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not disclose an individual’s specific location while in community confinement.”
Officials declined to share additional details regarding Shah’s next steps, citing standard privacy protocols.
From Arrest to Sentencing
Shah was arrested in March 2021 alongside her assistant, Stuart Smith, after federal investigators alleged the pair participated in a telemarketing operation that targeted thousands of victims, including elderly individuals. Prosecutors charged Shah with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In July 2022, Shah pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
“I am sorry. My actions have hurt innocent people,” Shah said during her sentencing on Jan. 6, 2023. “I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution.”
She was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to pay $6.5 million in restitution before surrendering to federal authorities the following month.
Sentence Reductions and Early Release
Although Shah initially faced more than six years behind bars, her sentence was reduced several times. The Bureau of Prisons attributed the reductions to good conduct, participation in institutional programming and progress toward financial restitution.
One month into her sentence, Shah received a one-year reduction. Additional adjustments in October 2024 and January 2025 shifted her projected release date into late 2026. Another reduction in August moved that date up again. In mid-November, it was reported that the Bureau of Prisons approved her release for Dec. 10.
He added, “Jen’s in a really positive, hopeful place mentally. She’s done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before.”
Family, Faith, and Reflection
Throughout Shah’s incarceration, her husband, University of Utah football coach Sharrieff “Coach” Shah, remained publicly supportive. The couple share two sons, Sharrieff Jr., 31, and Omar, 22.
In a February 2024 letter written from prison, Shah described the emotional toll of separation from her family while reflecting on personal changes shaped by her time behind bars. She wrote that faith, daily prayer and therapy had helped her navigate moments of despair and offered perspective through connections with other incarcerated women.
“I am most grateful for the aspects of my life that have never left me: my family and faith,” Shah wrote. “In my daily prayers, I ask God for the courage to realize I am worthy of a second chance.”
While Shah’s legal obligations remain ongoing, her release signals a major shift, one that brings her back into public view, albeit under supervision, and far from the glamorous persona that once defined her reality TV tenure.
