After more than a year of maintaining her innocence, Lori Loughlin has agreed to plead guilty to fraud in the college admissions scandal, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court. The Full House actress was arrested in March 2019 and charged with conspiring to pass off her two daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, as rowing recruits at USC. Loughlin's husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, has also agreed to plead guilty to fraud, according to court documents.
Federal prosecutors and the couple's attorneys agreed to ask a judge to sentence Loughlin and Giannullu to two and five months, respectively, in federal prison, the plea agreements say. Loughlin agreed to pay a fine of $150,000 and serve 100 hours of community service; her husband agreed to a $250,000 penalty and 250 hours of community service. If U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton accepts this terms, prosecutors will drop the money laundering and bribery charges a grand jury brought against the couple.
"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," U.S. Atty. Andrew E. Lelling, whose deputies charged the case, said in a statement, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions."
Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 to William "Rick" Singer, a consultant at the heart of the widespread scandal, prosecutors say. For more than a year, the couple insisted Singer misled them into believing the money was destined for legitimate university purposes, not bribes to corrupt school employees.
Social media erupted after the news hit Thursday morning, with fans shocked by the sudden development after more than a year of slow-moving legal drama. Continue on to see how social media reacted.