Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimmo Giannulli could see as much as two years behind bars for their alleged involvement in a sweeping college admissions scheme.
TMZ reports that the amount the Fuller House actress and her fashion designer husband allegedly paid in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California could land them in prison for a minimum of two years.
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Loughlin and Giannulli, along with the remaining 37 individuals who did not take a plea deal on Monday, have reportedly been offered plea deals, with varying recommendations for jail time. The amount they paid in bribes or whether they accept responsibility for what they did reportedly dictates how long their prison sentence could be.
Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to bribe USC‘s crew coach, which reportedly raises the minimum sentence in a plea deal to a range of two to two and a half years, according to TMZ.
Sources told the news outlet that prosecutors have given all the defendants an ultimatum: reach a plea deal quickly or face a federal grand jury with additional charges, including money laundering.
Huffman and 12 other parents took a plea deal on Monday, with prosecutors recommending between four to 10 months in prison for the Desperate Housewives alum. However, Huffman still reserves the right to argue that the range should be zero to six months. The details will reportedly be worked out during sentencing, as the judge will have the ultimate say following the prosecutors’ initial recommendations.
Prosecutors also demand that Huffman pay a fine of $20,000, restitution as well as one year of probation.
Huffman pleaded guilty alongside 12 other parents and one coach on Monday to conspiracy to commit mail fraud as well as honest services mail fraud. The 56-year-old paid Rick Singer $15,000 to rig her daughter’s SAT test, giving the girl twice the amount of time as normal to complete the exam. The proctor also corrected her answers afterward.
In a statement, Huffman accepted responsibility and apologized.
“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office. I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” Huffman said in her statement. “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community.”
“I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly,” she went on.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her,” the actress said. “This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
