By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Order Vlog
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 12 – Five defendants in a telemarketing scheme were presented past 8 pm on November 20, 2019 in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
On April 2, 2021 Jen Shah of Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City was arraigned in the same case - and a $1 million bond, with $250,000 of it secured by case or property, required. Inner City Press live tweeted that - and the sentencings, of Jen Shah, and co-defendants and cooperators Joseph Chirico and Anthony Cheedie, below,
Inner City Press had filed to unseal Shah's sentencing submissions, in a "robing room" proceeding that is itself still sealed, Judge Stein emerged and said "in regard to an application by Inner City Press made a day or two ago for unsealing of essentially all the material that have been submitted to me in connection with this sentencing because certain of the materials were redacted and other material were filed under seal by the defense and Inner City Press asserted the right to have that material put on the public record. That is what the discussion was. That discussion is going to be sealed. The result of it, obviously, will be made public because I did direct that certain of materials be unredacted and other materials be unsealed." Transcript here, and the material, we were told, should be unsealed Monday January 9.
But on January 9, nothing was filed into the docket other than a request by co-defendant Joseph Minetto to delay his sentencing from January 12 to mid-April. Inner City Press inquired, and this was docketed: "ORDER as to (19-Cr-833-11) Jennifer Shah. On January 3, 2023, Inner City Press filed an application to unseal certain exhibits and unredact certain portions of the sentencing submissions in this litigation. (ECF No. 648.) Defendant responded on January 5, 2023 (ECF No. 644), and on January 6, 2023 the Court heard argument by defendant. Pursuant to the rulings of the Court during the conference, defendant is directed 1) to blur the faces of all third-party individuals in Exhibit B to defendant's sentencing memorandum, which has been filed under seal (ECF No. 644), except for the faces of defendant, her husband, and two sons; 2) to file that version on the public record; and (3) to unredact the redacted portions of her sentencing memorandum and accompanying exhibits to the extent determined by the Court on January 6, 2023, and to file those revised documents on the public record. SO ORDERED."
And after 9 pm, in response, Jen Shah's submission was partially unsealed, see here on Patreon, thread:
OK - here in Jen Shah's initially sealed sentencing statement to the judge, tonight released after Inner City Press won an order to unredact (most) of it. Here in 1st section she had blacked out "our marriage began to crumble" and her "the strict Muslim family"
After a still-redacted section, Jen Shah's until now sealed sentencing statement told the judge she's been in only 2 groups: Tongan Mormons & "the strict Muslim family that my husband and I had made"
After yet more redactions, Jen Shah's until-now sealed sentencing statement told the judge that she wanted to "set an example for other minority girls... to dealing with the COVID Pandemic" [redaction]
After more redactions, Jen Shah's until-now sealed sentencing statement told the judge that "my husband did not come to my father's funeral... relationships with people who were untrustworthy. I told Stuart he could handle everything
After yet more redactions, Jen Shah's until-now sealed sentencing statement told the judge that she wanted to "set an example for other minority girls... to dealing with the COVID Pandemic" [redaction]
Back on Friday night, after sobbing for Judge Stein and telling that all of her efforts going forward would be to repay her elderly victims, Jen Shah dined at Valbella at the Park.
Jen Shah on Jan 6, courtesy of Elizabeth Williams
On January 6, Jen Shah was sentenced to 78 months in prison, after Judge Sidney H. Stein largely granted Inner City Press' application to unseal (though not, it seems, until January 9). Inner City Press live tweeted, thread here.
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