Why Lori Loughlin Rejected Plea Deal Before Second Indictment

Earlier this week, there were reports that Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli were offered plea deals for their alleged roles in the college cheating scandal.

Loughlin and Mossimo did not agree to any plea deal, so they didn't join 14 people, including Felicity Huffman, who pleaded guilty.

A source told People magazine, “She is very concerned about what a guilty plea would do to her daughters, who may not have grasped everything that was going on.”

“Yes, she can think about the public perception of her, but that's nothing compared to what her daughters think of her. So that is something that has understandably made her less likely to enter a plea,” the insider emphasized. “From the beginning, she didn't want to take a deal, because she felt that she hadn't done anything that any mom wouldn't have done, if they had the means to do so. So this wasn't her being obstinate; this was her truly not understanding the seriousness of the allegations.”

To make matters worse, Lori and Mossimo are among 16 parents who have been charged — in a second, superseding indictment — with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If found guilty, the couple could face a maximum of 40 years in prison, 20 years for each charge.

Another source told E! News, “She has been in complete denial and thought maybe she could skate by. She refused to accept any jail time and thought the DA was bluffing. She was adamant she wouldn't do any jail time."