Jen Shah’s Marriage Is ‘Strong’ amid Prison Stay as ‘RHOSLC’ Alum’s Husband Is ‘100% Behind’ Her (Exclusive)

Jen Shah’s time in prison did not affect her marriage to Sharreiff Shah.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, a representative for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City The alum revealed the pair are still “going strong” despite the trials and tribulations they’ve endured with her 5.5-year sentence.

“Jen and Coach Shah are doing very well,” says the rep. “He still sees her a lot and they talk on the phone a lot. There are still ups and downs, of course, because of the long distance, but their marriage is still going strong.”

The rep adds, “He’s so supportive. He’s still very much there for his wife. He’s behind Jen 100%.”

Jen Shah and Sharrieff Shah on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Fred Hayes/Bravo Everything you need to know about ‘Real Housewives’ star Jen Shah’s cheating case

Shah, 49, pleaded guilty in July 2022 after being arrested in March 2021, along with her assistant Stuart Smith, for their role in a long-running nationwide telemarketing scheme.

Both initially pleaded not guilty after being charged with conspiracy to commit telemarketing fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shah’s legal team tried to dismiss the charges in August 2021, but a judge denied the request.

Smith changed her plea to guilty that November, and Shah did the same at a hearing in July 2022. On January 6, 2023, Shah was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, during which she apologized for her actions.

“I’m sorry. My actions hurt innocent people,” Shah said at the sentencing. “I want to apologize by saying that I am doing everything I can to earn the funds to pay the compensation.”

Jen Shah and Sharreiff Shah. Gotham/GC Images Jen Shah’s victim impact letter describes ‘everyday struggle’ after fraud scheme ‘turned our lives upside down’

Before she reported to Bryan Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Bryan, Texas on February 17, 2023, Shaha’s attorney Priya Chaudhry spoke on her behalf in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Jen Shah’s determination to heal her victims and turn her life around is unwavering,” the statement said. “She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, driven by her desire to atone for the pain she has caused and to help others in her new community. No obstacle will deter Jen from making the most of her time in prison and she is determined to give back to those on whose lives she influenced.”

In March 2023, Shaha’s sentence was reduced by one year, making her new release date August 30, 2028.

“I spoke with my client Jen Shah on the phone this week — she is doing well and remains committed to healing her victims,” her rep told PEOPLE at the time. “She has started paying compensation and we hope to have her own home as soon as possible so she can continue to live with her family and work, putting this chapter of her life behind her.”

Jen Shah on Season 3 of ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.’ Chris Haston/Bravo via Getty Jen Shah on adjusting to a ‘brown bag’ breakfast and fighting ‘self-destructive’ thinking in prison

That same month, Shaha’s husband shared one of her journal entries on Instagram, which detailed the day she checked into federal prison.

“Sharrieff opened the back passenger seat and I turned to hug him; hugging him as if holding him tighter would somehow erase this horrible nightmare,” she wrote, recalling her last moments with him. “I wanted to remember his hug, his smell, his touch. I held his face with both hands. [I] I looked into his eyes, and tears were streaming down my face, I told him that he is the love of my life and that I love him more than anything.”

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After she was searched and her belongings cleared, she described in detail the last farewell with her family. As she left, she saw her husband and son “both looking at me crying.” She prayed to God at that moment, “asked for strength” because she did not know how she endured.

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