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Loughlin, Giannulli to serve prison time for college scam

 

AP) -- “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, agreed to serve prison time as part of a deal to plead guilty to cheating the college admissions process, according to court papers filed Thursday.

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FILE - In this April 3, 2019, file photo, actress Lori Loughlin, front, and her husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli, left, depart federal court in Boston. (Source: AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Loughlin, 55, has agreed to serve two months behind bars and Giannulli, 56, has agreed to serve five months under the deal that must be approved by the judge. They are scheduled to plead guilty Friday via video conference.

It's a stunning reversal for the famous couple who insisted for the last year they were innocent and that investigators had fabricated evidence against them. Their decision comes about two weeks after the judge rejected their bid to dismiss the case over allegations of misconduct by federal authorities.

“I think they made a calculated assessment that the risks were just too great” to bring the case to trial, said former federal prosecutor Bradley Simon.

They were scheduled to go to trial in October on charges that they paid $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew team recruits, even though neither of them played the sport. They helped create fake athletic profiles for their daughters by sending the admitted ringleader of the scheme, admissions consultant Rick Singer, photos of the teens posing on rowing machines, authorities said.

Lawyers for Loughlin and Giannulli had argued that the couple believed the payments were “legitimate donations” that would go directly to USC as a fundraising gift or support Singer’s charity. They also accused prosecutors of hiding crucial evidence that could prove the couple’s innocence because it would undermine their case.

They agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in a plea agreement filed in Boston’s federal court. Giannulli will also plead guilty to a charge of honest services wire and mail fraud, prosecutors said. Prosecutors have agreed to dismiss charges of money laundering and federal programs bribery that were added after the case was filed.

Under Loughlin's plea deal, she will also pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. Giannulli has agreed to pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service.

Simon said the couple's lawyers may think that Loughlin and Giannulli have a chance of avoiding prison altogether and serving their punishments at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorney General William Barr has ordered the Bureau of Prisons to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates because of the virus crisis. The pandemic has already delayed the prison sentences of some parents who have pleaded guilty in the college admissions case and allowed others to go home early.

"It may have been a very clever move by the lawyers," said Simon, now with the firm Windels Marx in New York.

An attorney for the couple declined to comment.

Loughlin and Giannulli were among 50 people arrested last year in the case dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues” that rocked the word of higher education. They are the 23rd and 24th parents to plead guilty in the case.

The case uncovered a scheme in which wealthy parents paid huge sums to secure students’ admission at elite schools as fake athletic recruits or have someone cheat on their entrance exams, authorities said.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said his office will "continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions.”

 

“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,” he said in an emailed statement.

Others parents who've been sent to prison for participating in the scam include “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman. She served nearly two weeks behind bars late last year after she admitted to paying $15,000 to have someone correct her daughter’s entrance exam answers.

California winemaker Agustin Huneeus Jr., who also pleaded guilty, was released from his five-month prison term two weeks early in March because of the public health crisis.

The judge has allowed other parents, including the heiress to the Hot Pockets fortune, to put off their prison sentences because of the virus outbreak.

Michelle Janavs, whose family invented Hot Pockets, and Douglas Hodge, the ex-CEO of Pacific Investment Management Co., are allowed to remain free until at least June 30, the judge ruled. The judge said he would consider further delays if the virus crisis hasn't lessened by then.

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6 minutes ago, Phoenix said:

This is bullshit considering all the corruption in the college system. If I had a dollar for every low-life that's brought in over the best and brightest, I'd be rich.

And college fraud is like cotton candy compared to the corruption that’s swept under the rug daily in the justice system.

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1 hour ago, f7ben said:

And college fraud is like cotton candy compared to the corruption that’s swept under the rug daily in the justice system.

Well the last 4 years have certainly proven that  :bc: 

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She is just a show piece to give us the illusion that there is justice. Bribed her kid into college, "LOCK HER UP!"

Lie the country into a 20 year 8 trillion dollars war that destabilizes an entire region and millions dead. Meh. 

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9 minutes ago, Anler said:

She is just a show piece to give us the illusion that there is justice. Bribed her kid into college, "LOCK HER UP!"

Lie the country into a 20 year 8 trillion dollars war that destabilizes an entire region and millions dead. Meh. 

Doesn't it give you pause that greasing some admissions board for one of your kids gets you jail time, yet the shit we read about, day in and day out, about what the past administration has been caught doing is about 1000x more serious?

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1 hour ago, f7ben said:

And college fraud is like cotton candy compared to the corruption that’s swept under the rug daily in the justice system.

 

39 minutes ago, DriftBusta said:

Well the last 4 years have certainly proven that  :bc: 

I'm glad you have finally seen the light about Trump and his cronies. 

 

IMG_1515.GIF.d04bad246c826e5792521decde76268e.GIF

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47 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

I love her arrogance in all this though. But, to be fair, these people do live in an alternate universe...like politicians.

That, in itself, was something else. I was surprised to hear she actually plead guilty but I'm sure she was strongly advised to after she said she wasn't. 

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7 hours ago, irv said:

That, in itself, was something else. I was surprised to hear she actually plead guilty but I'm sure she was strongly advised to after she said she wasn't. 

It all boils down to this:

Simon said the couple's lawyers may think that Loughlin and Giannulli have a chance of avoiding prison altogether and serving their punishments at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorney General William Barr has ordered the Bureau of Prisons to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates because of the virus crisis. The pandemic has already delayed the prison sentences of some parents who have pleaded guilty in the college admissions case and allowed others to go home early.

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3 hours ago, AKIQPilot said:

For her to plead guilty to anything means they had the evidence against her.  But this is all a bull shit charge to begin with. 
 

Lets move on now shall we.....

Yeah, can't get too excited about this.  If nothing else, the last 5-10-15 years have just proven what sleazy whores the media are overall.  Anything for a click.  Not true?  No problem as long as it gets the clicks.

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10 hours ago, DriftBusta said:

Doesn't it give you pause that greasing some admissions board for one of your kids gets you jail time, yet the shit we read about, day in and day out, about what the past and current administrations have been caught doing is about 1000x more serious?

Fixed and yes

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23 minutes ago, Angry ginger said:

prob why they decided to plead out now.  they will get house arrest at best.  

Yep

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