Felicity Huffman Was Held at Gunpoint During FBI Arrest

On Tuesday, Felicity Huffman was indicted as a participant in a nationwide college entrance scam, with the actress arrested later that same day.

According to TMZ, seven FBI agents arrived at Huffman’s home on Tuesday at 6 a.m., drawing their weapons as they ordered her to step outside. Sources say Huffman, her husband, William H. Macy, and their two daughters were home sleeping at the time, and that Huffman knew her arrest was imminent and would have surrendered herself. An FBI source said that guns were drawn as a precaution.

Huffman was taken to a federal building where she was processed by federal marshals, and the 56-year-old later posted bail, which was signed for by Macy. She was ordered to surrender her passport and was ordered to not have any contact with any of the other co-defendants in the case, though she is allowed to discuss the case with her husband. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 29 at the federal courthouse in Boston.

The scam facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and involved college coaches claiming students were recruits to athletic teams to better their chances of acceptance. Huffman allegedly paid $15,000 to a non-profit called Key Worldwide Foundation, though she actually intended “to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her oldest daughter,” according to the indictment.

Phone calls between Huffman and a cooperating witness were recorded during which the Desperate Housewives star allegedly agreed to pay the sum to better the SAT scores of her older daughter, Sofia.

Huffman also reportedly considered using the scam again for her younger daughter, but decided against it. She has been charged with felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Macy was also reportedly aware of the scam but has not been charged. He was named in the documents only as “spouse,” but seemed to have a clear knowledge of the events.

Along with Huffman, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were also charged in the scandal, and a warrant is currently out for Loughlin’s arrest as she was out of the country on Tuesday. She was ordered to return and is expected to turn herself in to authorities on Wednesday. Loughlin allegedly paid $500,000 to someone claim her daughter was part of the rowing team at the University of Southern California.

A list of 50 parents, exam administrators and athletic coaches from schools including Yale, Georgetown University, Stanford and Wake Forest have all been implicated.

Photo Credit: Getty / Paul Archuleta