The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Jen Shah becomes emotional following her release from prison

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Jen Shah was finally released from prison on December 10, 2025, after spending 33 months in jail at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. 

TMZ captured the former Bravo star's return to Salt Lake City as she stepped out at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Wednesday and was greeted by her family and friends. 

Jen Shah was shown breaking down in tears and becoming emotional upon reuniting with her loved ones, who welcomed her with applause, flowers, balloons, and placards with words of motivation. 

Although Jen spoke to her friends and family, she refused to give any statement to TMZ when asked about her stay behind bars. 

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's former cast member was arrested in 2021 for committing telemarketing fraud with people over 55, with the intention of laundering money. 

Although she denied the accusation at first, a year later, she admitted her crime. 

However, the money laundering claim was dismissed as per a plea deal.  

Everything to know about The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Jen Shah’s crime and early prison release

On December 10, 2025, PEOPLE exclusively revealed that Jen had been released from prison. However, where she would stay was kept under wraps for security reasons. 

According to the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) spokesperson, Jen would be kept in “community confinement,” which meant that she would either be kept in a halfway house or in home confinement to complete the remainder of her prison sentence.

“For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not disclose an individual’s specific location while in community confinement,” they added. 

When Jen arrived at the Salt Lake City airport, TMZ representatives asked her if she had any interactions with fellow inmates.

One of her fellow inmates was s*x trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who worked in connection with the late s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The other one was former tech CEO Elizabeth Holmes, convicted of defrauding investors.

Jen did not respond to any queries, and simply wallked away.

Jen and her assistant, Stuart Smith, were arrested in 2021 for committing wire fraud, targeting numerous people above the age of 55 through a telemarketing scheme.

“In 2012 to March 2021, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, I agreed with others to commit wire fraud. I knew this was wrong. I knew many people were harmed, and I’m so sorry. My actions have hurt innocent people. I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution," Jen said when she accepted her crimes in 2022.

She was then sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

However, her prison sentence kept being cut due to her good behavior and efforts to gather funds for restitution. Ultimately, in November 2025, her release date was set for December 10. 

At the time, Jen’s manager, Chris Giovanni, told PEOPLE that the early release was significant for Jen as it would allow her to spend the holidays with her loved ones.

He added that the early release was a “gift” that the Bravo alum did not take for granted. 

During the early hours of December 10, Jen was set free, as cameras captured her husband and her two sons, Sharrief Jr. and Omar, picking her up from prison. 

Stay tuned for more updates.