HOLY S**T!!!
Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are taking a plea deal for their involvement in the college admissions scandal! This comes months and months after steadfastly maintaining their innocence — and just a few weeks since a source revealed the pair STILL didn’t think any exchange with “Operation Varsity Blues” mastermind Rick Singer was illegal!
Loughlin will reportedly plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Her husband will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. They are both scheduled to enter their pleas on Friday.
Related: Felicity Huffman Hopes To Return To Acting After College Admissions Scandal!
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts, if approved, Lori will serve two months in prison, pay a $150,000 fine, have two years of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service. Mossimo will serve five months with 250 hours of community service, two years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling shared on Thursday:
“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.”
The Full House actress and her fashion designer hubby were accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters Olivia Jade and Bella into the University of Southern California as crew team recruits, even though they weren’t athletes. One of the smoking guns in the case was staged photos of the girls in workout apparel on rowing machines.
We know, crazy it took THIS LONG for them to take a plea…
Earlier in May, the duo’s legal team filed a motion for charges to be dismissed based on accusations by a key witness that they had been coerced into lying. Singer apparently had written notes in his iPhone claiming the feds wanted him to lie to clients while gathering evidence for the case.
Related: The Final Season Of Fuller House Has No Aunt Becky In Sight!
But when it came to the official ruling, the judge sided with the prosecution who argued these existing notes were written by Singer before he had fully accepted responsibility for his crimes. The agents involved also denied pressuring him to lie, revealing they just wanted Rick to get clients to confirm more details of the scheme. Prosecutors also scored against another defense argument, essentially that Lori and Moss hadn’t heard the word “bribe” and therefore thought what they were doing was legal. The feds shared it doesn’t matter what an illegal quid pro quo is called, the act is ultimately the same.
The couple was slated to go to trial in October for their charges, but they may already be serving time by then — who knows?! Loughlin and Giannulli are the 23rd and 24th parents to plead guilty in the college admissions case.
Thoughts on this outcome, Perezcious readers?! SOUND OFF with all your thoughts in the comments (below)!
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN]
Related Posts
CLICK HERE TO COMMENT-
Categories