Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced on Friday to respective prison terms of two months and five months for participating in a vast US college admissions fraud scheme.
Loughlin, 56, choked up as she apologized to US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston for the “awful decision” she made to help her daughters gain an “unfair advantage” in the college admissions process and get into their preferred school.
She and her husband were sentenced after they pleaded guilty in May to engaging in a fraud scheme aimed at securing spots for their daughters at the University of Southern California as fake athletic recruits.
They did so through what Gorton called a “blatant” scheme that involved wealthy parents, including the couple, conspiring with a California college admissions consultant to use bribery and fraud to secure their children’s admissions to top schools. Loughlin, in her first public remarks about the case since her March 2019 arrest, said she had acted out of love for her daughters.
The actress, who became the public face of the scandal, said she understood her actions “helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society generally and the higher education system for specifically.”
“I am truly, profoundly and deeply sorry, and I need to face the consequences and make amends,” she said during a hearing held via videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gorton also ordered Loughlin and Giannulli to pay respective fines of $150,000 and $250,000 and complete 100 and 250 hours of community service.
Loughlin and Giannulli are among 56 people charged in a scheme masterminded by consultant William “Rick” Singer, who has admitted to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and using bribery to secure the admission of children to schools under the guise of being sought-after athletes.
The parents include actress Felicity Huffman, who received a 14-day prison sentence for paying to rig her daughter’s college entrance exam. An insurance and private equity executive, Mark Hauser, on Friday became the latest parent to cut a plea deal.
Prosecutors said Loughlin and Giannulli conspired with Singer to fabricate parts of their daughters’ applications for admission to USC so they could be admitted as fake rowing team recruits.
Defense lawyer B.J. Trach said the case had “devastating” effects on Loughlin’s career, leading to her losing multi-year acting contracts. “She has become intertwined with the college admissions scandal,” he said.
The couple is due to report to prison on November 19.
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Ok so is anyone going to do anything about Yale being prejudiced against white applicants?
It is amazing that a when a parent makes a mistake by just wanting the best for their children and they get punished for it. But we allow governors, senators, and other politicians destroy our country and they get praised. Then we let rioters and looters by with destroying our police officers and their families but they are praised. There is something wrong with our country and the first thing we need is to pray that God does not decide to destroy the world because all the evil that is going on that most people think is right. Dont get me wrong what Lori and her husband dis was wrong but are you really going to set their and tell me you would not want what is best for your child. Again what they did is nothing compared to what most of our government is doing. We have governors ok with killing babies that is murder but they is it is ok but a murderer can commit murder and get punished but a woman that want to play and have a good time commits an abortion which is murder and it is no big deal. Again at least Lori and her husband was trying to give their kids the best not kill them.