Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are reportedly demanding to see the evidence against them in the college admissions scandal.
According to ET, the couple’s legal team has filed new court papers to request that all motions by the government be suspended until their upcoming hearing.
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Per the new documents, the couple’s defense states that they have not been given any of the evidence the federal prosecutors allege implements them in the scam.
Rather, they say that they have simply been told that the evidence is “extremely voluminous.” The couple’s lawyers feel that they deserve an opportunity to survey the evidence before court hearings proceed any further.
In April, Loughlin and Giannulli were arrested on bribery charges. Federal authorities claimed that the couple offered financial compensation to college officials in order to get their daughters admitted.
Both were reportedly offered a plea deal, but they each rejected because they thought that the prosecutors were “bluffing.”
Not long after they declined a deal, authorities charged them with alleged money laundering as well.
JUST IN: Actress Lori Loughlin and 15 other wealthy parents now face additional charges of conspiring to commit fraud and money laundering as part of the growing college admissions scandal. https://t.co/ZfvN2QaD2J pic.twitter.com/UjiFJ8Wvhw
โ CNN (@CNN) April 9, 2019
The new charges carry a potential prison sentence of roughly 20 years behind bars, and insiders close the family have stated that Loughlin did not believe she would get in very much trouble.
“Lori still believed in the end she would just get a slap on the wrist,” an insider told ET. “At this point she is getting complete clarity and she’s scared and in terrible shape.”
“The reality of this situation has finally hit her like a ton of bricks,” the source added. “It wasn’t until she was faced with [the] additional [charge] that she saw the true ramifications.”
“She is going through the worst time of her life,” the source continued. “It feels like her whole world is falling apart. She is putting all her trust in her team and her lawyers, and hoping for the best.”
EXCLUSIVE: Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s legal troubles have caused “a rift” between them as they’re starting to turn on and blame each other. https://t.co/k6nJQTunEr pic.twitter.com/YXDkHrZS4f
โ E! News (@enews) April 10, 2019
The insider also stated that Loughlin’s friends have been “incredibly concerned” about the actress, and they “feel the entire situation should have been handled differently.”
“They believe she should have taken the plea when offered,” the insider added. “Her closest friends have warned her she needs to be more humble and worry she’s been misled through this process,” the source adds. “There seems to be a certain belief among her people she is above all of this and everything will be just fine. And it’s becoming more and more evident that is not the case.”
At this time, there is no word on if Loughlin and Giannulli will be offered another chance to cut a plea deal.