Stuart Smith, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah’s “first assistant”, was arrested alongside her yesterday as the pair were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
The duo allegedly “defrauded hundreds of victims” across the country in a scheme motivated by “greed”, according to prosecutors.
They reportedly worked with telemarketing companies and provided them a list of individuals for them to target in order to sell specific business services. The two of them allegedly received a profit from the revenue that the telemarketing companies made.
According to a news release provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York, they were both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
They are set to make a court appearance today, Wednesday March 31, but are reportedly prohibited from speaking to one another as the fraud investigation continues. Neither Jen nor Stuart have released a statement regarding their arrest.
Who is Stuart Smith?
Stuart is a member of Jen’s ‘Shah Squad’ and has appeared in several different scenes on RHOSLC. He is described as Jen’s “first assistant” and, as her first-in-command, he is often tasked with day-to-day errands to make sure Jen is able to function amid her busy lifestyle.
He’s often seen driving Jen around town and speaking to her while she’s getting her hair and makeup done. He also plays a part in her business ventures and as part of her Shah Squad, is responsible for hyping her up and reminding her how fabulous she is.
Aside from assisting Jen with her daily activities and ensuring she looks glamourous at all times, Stuart has helped her throw the lavish parties she is known for. During RHOSLC, he assisted with putting together the birthday party for Meredith Marks, and also assisted her in throwing her husband Sharrieff’s surprise party.
There is no task that is too big for Jen’s first assistant. Fans enjoyed watching their banter back and forth throughout the season.
While recent allegations came out that Jen reportedly berated members of her Shah Squad, she has always appeared to have a strong relationship with Stuart.
The Shah Squad’s role in Jen’s business ventures
Jen is known for having eight different assistants who all make up her “Shah Squad.”
She described how each one of her assistants has a distinct role in order to help her run her various business ventures.
During the reunion, she told Andy Cohen, “I need a lot of help, you know? They all do different things. I run a lot of different companies and businesses, and a lot of them have different roles in the companies.”
Jen is the CEO and founder of JXA Fashion, Shah Beauty, and The Real Shah Lashes. Jen said during the reunion, “My background is in direct response marketing for about 20 years, so our company does advertising.
“We have a platform that helps people acquire customers, so when you’re shopping online or on the Internet, and something pops, we have the algorithm behind why you’re getting served that ad.”
Jen has identified that each of her assistants has specific roles they are responsible for, but the most important of them all is Stuart.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is currently on hiatus.