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.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“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.
Lori Loughlin is getting TWO months of jail after scamming for her daughter??? Definition of white privilege. People who steal food from Walmart to SURVIVE get more time. Disgusted. And she didn’t plead not guilty the first time 🤮🤮🤮🤮
— 🎀 miss know it all 🎀 (@belindamayg) May 21, 2020
Lori Loughlin is going to jail and so is her husband Mossimo after they got caught paying huge bribes to get their daughters admitted to USC.
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) May 21, 2020
I guess she should’ve listened to Aunt Becky about cheating.#thursdaymorning
Lori Loughlin being a Becky is the Beckiest thing to ever Becky.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) May 21, 2020
Lucky for Lori Loughlin that she’s just a white con artist and not an innocent black person or she might be dead.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) May 21, 2020
Lie for 16 months until you get the right deal…
— Daydream Believer (@Feb2nd1979) May 21, 2020
Thank You Lori for wasting taxpayer $ fighting this case so aggressively. You tried to manipulate the media into a pity party coverup instead of taking a plea deal. Felicity Hoffman did the right thing. Ms. Loughlin You need to see the inside of a jail door even if for a day.
— DeepElemBlueslover (@dd13footslave4) May 21, 2020
If she had pleaded guilty earlier, she’d have probably gotten a short sentence and fine like Felicity Huffman but now her sentence will be longer as a result of waiting too long.
— Lisa Quail (@quail1981) May 21, 2020
my immediate reaction: they’ve both been promised a quick release based on “concerns related to the transmission of COVID19.”
— Mary Murphy (@FastFM) May 21, 2020
Lori Loughlin when she found out she & her husband got 2 months after pleading guilty. 😒🤷🏾♂️🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/V47XztvHM6
— True Fashionista N😷W (@tfnow) May 21, 2020
Well, Lori Loughlin & hubby are going to the hoosegow. I feel that jail time for them is useless, honestly. I feel they should have to give 1 million each in scholarships to college students who need financial aid and clean USC bathrooms for 2 months. #whiteprivilege
— Del Shores (@DelShores) May 21, 2020
Future headline: “released after 15 days due to covid19”
— mavaniq (@MAVANIQ) May 21, 2020
That’s wealth privilege for you: one can get away with just about anything heinous as long as they’re a multi-millionaire… 🙄😒
— Timothy Jackson (@TJSlipperman) May 21, 2020
Life of privilege pays off. Maybe they will get book deals and a reality show out of it too
— Patrick (@patrickomaha46) May 21, 2020
They waited until they can use the coronavirus as an excuse not to go to jail. They won’t step foot in one. They get off with a slap on the wrist.
— 🇺🇸 Chris 🇺🇸 (@Rimer_Chris) May 21, 2020
