The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City stars Meredith Marks, and Heather Gay were blindsided by their co-star Jen Shah’s guilty plea. Jen faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing.
On July 11, Jen appeared in New York for a surprise hearing in court. The reality television star changed her previous not guilty plea during the hearing. However, despite facing up to 30 years in jail, Jen requested an 11-14 years sentence and restitution of up to $9.5 million.
Jen’s Guilty Plea Shocked RHOSLC’s Meredith And Heather
Jen’s surprising guilty plea came a week before she was initially set to stand trial. Hence, her RHOSLC costars were surprised by her guilty plea. Two of such co-stars are Heather Gay and Meredith Marks, who were blindsided by Jen Shah’s guilty plea. A source told Page Six that Heather and Meredith knew of Jen’s changed legal strategy just moments before it became official.
An insider revealed that Jen called Heather just before she went into the courtroom on July 11. She also told Heather to call Meredith and tell her about her decision. A second source also confirmed that RHOSLC stars Meredith and Heather got notified before Jen’s guilty plea. The women were also in New York ahead of Jen’s pre-trial hearing because the latter wanted people around her for support.
Fans Call Out Meredith On Social Media
Meredith showed her support for Jen the night before her pretrial hearing. She shared a note on her Instagram Stories that read:
However, after news of Jen’s guilty plea made the headlines, fans called Meredith out. Meredith might not have posted such a message on social media if she had known about her friend’s plans earlier. However, she and Heather’s representatives are yet to respond to the insiders’ revelations.
RHOSLC’s Meredith And Heather Were Not Alone
Heather and Meredith were not the only RHOSLC stars blindsided by Jen’s guilty plea. Other cast members, including Lisa Barlow and Whitney Rose, were also shocked.
An insider revealed that everyone was surprised. The source added that Jen continuously told her costars that she was innocent and would fight to prove her innocence. The source claimed that Jen told friends:
Hence, the RHOSLC cast believed Jen was in New York for her pretrial hearing and to step up preparations to fight the allegations against her.
However, Jen pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in telemarketing. Meanwhile, the US attorney agreed to drop the other count against the television personality, conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Reason For Jen’s Guilty Plea
Jen’s attorney Priya Chaudhry previously revealed that his client made a last-minute plea because she “wants to pay her debt to society and put the ordeal behind her and her family.”
A source revealed that Jen felt her back was against the wall after seeing the weight of evidence against her and those who would testify. The insider added:
Jen, who shares two sons, Sharrieff Jr., 28, and Omar, 19, with her husband, Sharieff Shah Sr., will now be waiting till November for her sentencing. Many of her fans hope she doesn’t get a lengthy sentence. Only time will tell.
