Jen Shah's Sentence Reduced by 1 Year After Reporting to Prison in Telemarketing Fraud Case

After switching her plea to guilty last July, Jen Shah reported to a Texas prison last month to begin her 78-month (6.5-year) sentence for her role in a long-running telemarketing fraud scheme

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SALT LAKE CITY -- Season:3 -- Pictured: Jen Shah
Photo: Chris Haston/Bravo via Getty

Jen Shah's incarceration release date has been moved up.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' inmate database, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, 49, is now scheduled to be released on Aug. 30, 2028, a full year earlier than her original sentence after she reported to Bryan Federal Prison Camp (FPC) last month in Bryan, Texas.

"I have spoken with my client Jen Shah over the phone this week — she is doing well and remains committed towards making her victims whole," her rep said in a Sunday statement to PEOPLE. "She has initiated her payments towards restitution, and we hope to have her home as soon as possible so that she may resume life with her family and work, putting this chapter of her life behind her."

Shah entered a guilty plea last July after she was arrested back in March 2021, along with her assistant Stuart Smith, for their roles in a long-running nationwide telemarketing scheme.

They both originally pled not guilty after they were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shah's legal team attempted to have the charges dismissed in August 2021, but a judge denied the request.

Jen Shah Provides First-Person Account of Day She Reported to Prison: 'I Was Having an Anxiety Attack'
Gotham/GC Images

Smith switched his plea to guilty that November, and Shah did the same at a hearing in July 2022. She was sentenced to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison in January, during which she apologized for her actions.

"I am sorry. My actions have hurt innocent people," said Shah at her sentencing. "I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution."

Before Shah began her sentence last month, her attorney Priya Chaudhry told PEOPLE in a statement that she is "determined to make restitution to those whose lives she has impacted."

RELATED VIDEO: RHOSLC's Jen Shah Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme

"Jen Shah's resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding," the statement read. "She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Chaudhry added: "Her path ahead will be filled with challenges, but with the unwavering love and support of her family and friends, Jen is prepared to face these challenges head-on and emerge from this experience a better person who makes a positive impact on others."

Related Articles