After months of denying any wrongdoing, "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have pled guilty to their role in the 2019 college admissions scandal.
“Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case. We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions,” United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling explained.
#BREAKING: Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in connection w/ the #CollegeAdmissionsScandal https://t.co/PLBiY2Xyfi
— U.S. Attorney MA (@DMAnews1) May 21, 2020
Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to William "Rick" Singer to get their daughters into the University of Southern California. They even portrayed their daughters as recruits of the rowing team, despite the fact that the young women had never participated in the sport.
The pair initially rejected a plea deal and were facing up to several years in prison before they had a change of heart.
Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, both of Los Angeles, Calif., will plead guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton on a date to be specified by the Court. Loughlin will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while Giannulli will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
Under the terms of Loughlin’s plea agreement, the parties have agreed to a sentence, subject to the Court’s approval, of two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service. Under the terms of Giannulli’s plea agreement, the parties have agreed to a sentence, subject to the Court’s approval, of five months in prison, a $250,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 250 hours of community service.
Loughlin was not the only celebrity embroiled in the college cheating scandal. "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman was outed as having paid $15,000 to improve her daughter's SAT score. But she was not nearly as reluctant as Loughlin in owning up to her actions. She pled guilty and showed remorse in court last year and was sentenced to less than two weeks in prison. Over two dozen other parents have pled guilty as well.
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