Celebrity News August 21, 2020
Sentencing Day for Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli — How Much Time Will They Serve for College Scandal?
Months after pleading guilty in the college cheating scandal, Lori Loughlin and fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced on Friday.
Giannulli, appearing on Zoom, was sentenced to five months in prison. Along with paying a $250,000 fine, he has been ordered to self-surrender by November 19.
According to the U.S Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Giannulli will also be on two years of supervised release.
His attorney requested that Giannulli serve his time at Lompac Camp, but the location where he will be sent has not been determined.
During the virtual hearing, Mossimo said, “I deeply regret the harm that my actions have caused my daughters, my wife, and others. I take full responsibility for my conduct. I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward with the lessons I've learned from this experience.”
Though his lawyer brought attention to his daughters' struggles since the scandal broke, Judge Gorton was less than sympathetic. Pointing out that there was “no excuse” for Giannulli's involvement in the scandal, he added, “That's not the way it works in this country, as you are about to find out.”
The judge also approved Loughlin's plea deal. She will serve two months of prison time, pay a $150,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service, and be on two years of supervised release.
Loughlin apologized for her actions, telling the judge via Zoom, "I've made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college decision process. I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality, it only undermined my daughter's abilities and accomplishments. My decision helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society.”
"I believe in God and I believe in redemption, and I will do everything in my power to redeem myself and do good and give back for the rest of my life. I am truly profoundly and deeply sorry," Loughlin added.
Just weeks before the sentence, Loughlin had a “very quiet celebration” for her 56th birthday. A source told People magazine, “Lori and Mossimo have spent time down the coast from L.A. They like the privacy. Lori sees her daughters as much as she can. She celebrated her birthday with them. Having them around really lifts her spirit. They still don't know what will happen at the sentencing in August. It's insanely stressful for them. They just want it over with."
According to court documents filed last year, Loughlin and Giannulli "agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC."
Loughlin and Giannulli were among 50 charged in the scandal last year. Nearly two dozen of the parents have pleaded guilty, including Felicity Huffman.
After pleading guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, and was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. She was also required to perform community service.
She served her prison time in October.