Episode 1: SHAH-BAM! YOU’VE BEEN INDICTED!
I want you to close your eyes. I want you to count to 5 slowly and picture yourself in the moment you were in when you found out Jen Shah was arrested.
With each count, bring yourself deeper into the memory. Remember how the air smelled. In your mind’s eye, look around the room… notice the stillness. Remember how the breeze brushed your cheeks. Your mouth is no longer dry, you notice it almost tastes sweet like a berry. The sounds of the world come to a screeching halt.
“REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SALT LAKE CITY’S JEN SHAH ARRESTED ON FEDERAL FRAUD CHARGES”
Federal FRAUD charges?! Wow, Bethanny, wow.
So, WTF is happening?
Jen and Stu Chains have been charged with:
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Connection with Telemarketing
Through which they victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55, AND
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Jen Shah preying on old people.
Great. WTF is that?
ALLEGEDLY!!!!!
Jen and Stuey Boi carried out a wide-ranging telemarketing scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims. Basically, the government claims that Jen and Stu generated lists of “leads” consisting of other customers that made an initial investment with Stu and Shah.
So for example: I tell you that if you pay me $1,000, I will put you on a list of businesses I work with, and help you grow your business. So I put you on The Growing Business List that I circulate, and the next small business owner comes. I repeat my scam. Meanwhile, I am just passing the list along to my next victim small business and I collect all your information, make promises, and do nothing.
You might be wondering, who would contact Jennifer Shah and Stuart Me in this hypothetical situation, to get on some fake list?
Well, they create Sales Floors operating in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, coordinate with telemarketing sales floors in New York and New Jersey, and tele market and sell the information from the Lists above and start a new round of scheming and frauding.
Allegedly, Jen and Stu controlled every single aspect of the scheme. She controlled who got to participate, who could purchase the Lead Lists, determining how much downstream sales floors could charge, which products each of the downstream sales floors could sell. The government alleges Jen and Stu went so far as to aiding in fighting VICTIM REFUND REQUESTS.
ALLEGEDLY these two left their grimey little finger prints all over this crime scene. Hot tip: if you’re going to be a sneaky criminal, don’t be so obvious that it’s YOU.
