RHOSLC’s Jen Shah accused of ‘withholding evidence’ in fraud case weeks before trial as she faces 50 years in prison
JEN Shah has been accused of “withholding evidence” in her fraud case weeks before trial, as she faces up to 50 years in prison.
Jen, 48, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Court papers obtained by The Sun exclusively revealed the government is requesting the judge to force Jen to hand over evidence ahead of the July 11, 2022, trial.
According to a letter to the judge, prosecutors claimed they reached out to Jen’s legal team requesting evidence to be presented at trial three times before receiving the response: “At this time, we have nothing to provide the government.”
But prosecutors claimed that at a May 13, 2022, status conference, the Bravo star claimed she “intends to put on a two-week case-in-chief at trial, strongly suggesting that the defendant possesses documents or evidence that she intends to offer at trial.”
The government claimed she has not produced any materials to date.
The letter continued: “Although the Government first requested reciprocal discovery more than a year ago and trial is less than six weeks away, the defendant has produced no reciprocal discovery materials in response to the Government’s request and has failed to respond substantively to the Government’s most recent request for such materials.
“Accordingly, the Court should require the defendant to produce all documents and evidence subject to disclosure under Rule 16(b), including, but not limited to, substantive, non-impeachment evidence, on or before June 18, 2022.”
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JEN FIGHTS BACK
Jen’s legal team fired back in their own letter to the judge, claiming they have "nothing further to provide.”
The court papers claimed Jen “provided the Government with an expert witness disclosure and two supplemental disclosures."
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The court papers ended: “Again, as we have told the Government, we will promptly provide any items which Ms. Shah intends to use in her case-in-chief at trial which are within Ms. Shah’s possession, custody, or control.”
JEN CHARGED
In the indictment obtained by The Sun, Jen and her business partner, Stuart Smith, who was charged with the same crimes, had a "Business Opportunity Scheme" where they "sold alleged services" to help make the alleged victim's companies more efficient or profitable.
According to court papers, this included "tax preparations or website design services.";
The victims were "elderly and did not own a computer."
Participants of the scheme also provided information on "coaching sessions," though the court documents claimed that "at no point did the defendants intend that the victims would actually earn any of the promised return on their intended investment."
Jennifer and Stuart made efforts to conceal their roles in the Business Opportunity Scheme.
In one example, they used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with others involved in this scheme.
The court papers ordered Jennifer and Stuart to “forfeit to the United States any and all property, real and personal, involved in said offense or any property traceable to such property.”
The scheme ran from 2012 to March 2021, according to the indictment.
NO BRAVO
Earlier this year, Jen requested clips from RHOSLC not be shown at trial.
The court papers read: "There is no circumstance under which a clip of Jen Shah from her appearance on the RHOSLC should be used in court as these clips do not have any of the indicia of reliability.
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"The women and their lives are both real and fake and it is impossible to tell where reality ends and fantasy and outright deception and fakery begins.”
Jen’s business partner Stuart pleaded guilty, while she has maintained her innocence.
