Celebrity News May 21, 2020
Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli Agree to Plead Guilty in College Cheating Scandal — How Much Prison Time Will They Serve?
Over a year after the college cheating scandal rocked the nation, actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli have agreed to plead guilty for their involvement.
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."
In new court papers obtained by “Extra,” Loughlin will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while Giannulli has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
If the judge signs off on the plea deal, Loughlin 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.
As part of Giannulli's plea deal, he will serve five months in prison, pay a $250,000 fine, perform 250 hours of community service, and be on two years of supervised release.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said, “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."
While Loughlin and Giannulli's lawyers have not commented on the deal, the couple will reportedly plead guilty on Friday.
Loughin and Giannulli were among 50 charged in the scandal last year. Nearly two dozen of the parents have pleaded guilty, including Felicity Huffman.
Felicity Huffman Sentenced in College Admissions Scandal
View StoryAfter 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 is also required to perform community service.
She served her prison time in October.
According to court documents last year, Huffman allegedly gave a “purported charitable contribution of $15,000... to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme,” which gave her daughter twice the amount of time to take the SAT, and a secret proctor corrected her answers afterwards. The document added, “Huffman later made arrangements to pursue the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so."