Jen Shah Still Filming 'RHOSLC' After Guilty Plea: 'It's a Very Big Part of Her Story,' Says Source

Jen Shah became a full-time cast member on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City in its debut season, which premiered in November 2020

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Published on July 11, 2022 05:13 PM

Jen Shah will continue to let the cameras roll on her legal woes, PEOPLE has confirmed.

After she entered a guilty plea on Monday to wire fraud charges, the 48-year-old reality star will continue to take part the upcoming third season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

"She's had Meredith [Marks] and Heather [Gay] by her side, who have been very supportive of their friend during a difficult time," a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Obviously her legal troubles have not been easy for Jen, let alone making this decision to plead guilty."

This case is "a very big part of Jen's story," the source continues.

"Producers don't want us to stop following it now," the insider adds. "They'll keep filming with her as long as they can, just like they did with Teresa [Giudice]."

Shah became a full-time cast member on RHOSLC in November 2020. In the Bravo hit's second season, her storyline largely focused on the drama surrounding her alleged telemarketing scheme.

She and assistant Stuart Smith were arrested in March 2021 for allegedly targeting individuals in a massive fraud operation. They were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Both Shah and Smith, 43, originally pleaded not guilty, but he eventually pleaded guilty later that year. Smith has not yet been sentenced.

Shah had maintained her innocence until Monday, when she appeared in a New York court and pleaded guilty before Judge Sidney H. Stein. The reality star admitted to committing "wire fraud, offering services with little to no value."

"We used interstate telephones and emails. I knew many of the purchasers were over the age of 55," she continued, per a Twitter thread from Inner City Press's Matthew Russell Lee. "I am so sorry."

Shah's guilty plea means she will not stand trial. She was also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. A maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison is still a possibility.

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"Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed," attorney Priya Chaudhry told PEOPLE.

"Ms. Shah is also sorry for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters," the lawyer continued. "Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family."

Shah is set to be sentenced on Nov. 28.