Lori Loughlin: Steve Madden Has Words About Her Possible Prison Time

On Tuesday, April 9, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were indicted with even more charges in the recent college admissions scandal, with prosecutors indicating that the couple will spend at least some time in prison.

Fashion designer Steve Madden spoke to TMZ about Loughlin’s legal drama, sharing that despite what the prosecution believes, he doesn’t think the actress deserves to spend time behind bars.

“I’m gonna send money to her commissary account,” Madden joked before turning serious. “I feel bad for everybody. I think she tried to help her kid out, it was misguided. I don’t think anybody should go to prison for something like that, but it sounds like a terrible story.”

Madden himself spent two and a half years in prison for money laundering and stock fraud and was asked whether he had any advice for the couple based on his own experience.

“My advice is to throw herself on the mercy of the court,” he said. “I hope they don’t do time. It was misguided. It was foolish, but what are you gonna do?”

Loughlin and Giannulli were originally indicted after they allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.”

The 50 people indicted in the scandal have been offered plea deals, which include varying recommendations for prison sentences based on the amount paid in bribes and whether the parties in question accept responsibility for their actions. After Loughlin and Giannulli did not accept a deal when it was first offered, the U.S. Attorney added charges of money laundering to the couple’s previous charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

The money laundering charges drastically increase the minimum possible prison sentence for Loughlin and Giannulli, with the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Both charges also include supervised release and fines.

Loughlin and Giannulli were two of 16 parents charged in the second indictment, which “charges the defendants with conspiring to launder the bribes and other payments in furtherance of the fraud by funneling them through Singer’s purported charity and his for-profit corporation, as well as by transferring money into the United States, from outside the United States, for the purpose of promoting the fraud scheme.”

Photo Credit: Getty / Boston Globe