Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to plead guilty to fraud conspiracy charges for their involvement in the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday morning.
Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, were accused in March of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as fake crew team recruits.
They allegedly paid the money as part of a scheme with Rick Singer, the scam’s mastermind, and a USC athletics official to get their two daughters into the university as members of the crew team, even though they did not participate in the crew.
As part of the scheme, Giannulli emailed Singer pictures of his daughters posing on indoor rowing machines, which were then used to create the athletic profiles, the criminal complaint states.
As part of the plea agreement, Loughlin will be sentenced to two months in prison and Giannulli will be sentenced to five months in prison, subject to the court’s approval, according to authorities.
In addition, Loughlin faces a $150,000 fine, two years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service, and Giannulli faces a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.
They are scheduled to plead guilty on Friday at 11:30 a.m., prosecutors said.
Loughlin will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and Giannulli will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. The actress, best known for her role as Aunt Becky on the sitcom “Full House,” and her husband had previously been charged with three counts of conspiracy.
“Under the plea agreements filed today, 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,” said US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions.”
Loughlin and Giannulli were among 50 people arrested last year in the case dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.” . They are the 23rd and 24th parents to plead guilty in the case.
