Heavy/NBCUniversal Monica Garcia.
Monica Garcia was in the hot seat on “Watch What Happens Live.”
During an October 17, 2023 appearance on the Bravo late-night show, Andy Cohen asked “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” newcomer about her past involvement with Jen Shah.
Garcia used to work as an assistant for Shah, who is currently serving a 6.5 year prison sentence for her involvement in a widespread telemarketing scam. On the RHOSLC season 4 premiere, Garcia revealed she was a government witness for Shah’s federal trial and testified against her. Shah ultimately pled guilty to “conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said in a statement.
During her WWHL appearance, Garcia shared new details about how she found out about Shah’s illegal activities.
Here’s what you need to know:
Monica Garcia Claimed Jen Shah Flat Out Told Her About Her Scheme
In July 2022, a statement from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York stated: “Jennifer Shah was a key participant in a nationwide scheme that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims. These victims were sold false promises of financial security but instead, Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it. “
On the RHOSLC premiere, Garcia talked about her relationship with Shah, who hired her as an assistant in 2021. Garcia claimed that Shah asked her if she wanted to get rich. “You wanna make $600,000 a year? All you have to do is put this, this, and this in your name,” Garcia alleged Shah told her.
Garcia became “weirded out” by the conversation. “I have a friend in the Secret Service, and I called him and he said, ‘Get the f*** away from Jen Shah, she’s going to prison.’ And she was arrested two months later,” she claimed. “And that is how I became a witness with the federal government in her trial.”
On “Watch What Happens Live,” Garcia talked about her brief employment with Shah, which she described as “charity work.” After Cohen asked her how she found out what Shah was up to, Garcia replied, “She told me.”
“She said ‘I am ripping off elderly people?’” Cohen asked.
“No, she told me how her scheme works and she asked me to be a part of it,” Garcia alleged. “I said absolutely not and that’s when I reached out to my friend in the Secret Service.”
Cohen asked Garcia what Shah’s reaction was after she found out she had “spoken to the feds.” Garcia claimed she never talked to Shah after that.
Monica Garcia Said the ‘Shah Squad’ is ‘Furious’ That She is Now a Real Housewives Star
Chris Haston/BravoJen Shah in RHOSLC season 3.
Elsewhere on WWHL, Cohen asked Garcia if the “Shah Squad” has reacted to her beconing a Real Housewives cast member. The Shah Squad refers to Shah’s husband, Sharrieff, and their sons, Sharrieff Jr. and Omar.
“Oh, they’re furious,” Garcia said, She added: “I do want to make it clear I wasn’t the one that opened a case against her by talking to friend. It was open for like 10 years.”
Garcia elaborated when asked if she ever fears that there will be retaliation against her.
“Here’s the thing with that. Honestly I didn’t start this case, I wasn’t even a key witness,” she said. “I was subpoenaed on a long list of other people. …There were times that it was a little scary for sure just like coming out with it, it’s a scary thing to reveal. But it was the right thing to do I know everyone calls me a rat and whatever, but squeak squeak.”
On RHOSLC season 4, has teased that after hanging out with Shah, she knows “dark secrets” about all the other cast members. But some cast members have questioned some of her stories. In a September 2023 interview with Us Weekly. Meredith Marks admitted confused by Garcia’s claim that she called a friend in the Secret Service about Shah.
“The first thing that occurred to me is the Secret Service is not the FBI, and to the best of my knowledge it’s just presidential security, and I’m not sure what Jen did that has anything to with presidential security,” Marks said. “So, the whole thing just seemed odd and didn’t add up to me, to be totally honest.”
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