Actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli formally pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges Friday for their roles as two of the most famous names in the brazen college admissions scam.
The hearing occurred via teleconference before US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Massachusetts because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Yes, your honor," Loughlin told the judge when asked if she understood the proceedings.
Loughlin, in a dark green high-neck blouse, and Giannulli, wearing a dark suit, appeared with their lawyers in separate rooms. Their answers to the court's questions about understanding their pleas were brief. They listened intently and displayed no emotion as the prosecution outlined their crimes.Gorton asked Loughlin and Giannulli if they disagreed with the statement of facts. They both answered,"No, your honor."Read MoreLoughlin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.Sentencing is set for August 21. Here's Olivia Jade Giannulli's fake athletic profile listing her as a champion coxswainThe couple had moved to dismiss the charges as recently as two weeks ago and pleaded not guilty for more than a year but a source close to them told CNN this week they finally wanted"to put this behind them." Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, had been accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as fake crew team recruits. Under the agreement, Loughlin will be sentenced to two months in prison and Giannulli will be sentenced to five months in prison.Additionally, Loughlin faces a $150,000 fine, two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service. Giannulli faces a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.The actress, who is 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. The additional counts were dismissed. They allegedly paid $500,000 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 crew.Cheat. Bribe. Lie. Here's how the college admissions scam allegedly workedAs 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."Good news my daughter ... is in SC... bad is I had to work the system," Giannulli allegedly wrote in an email to his accountant.The daughters are no longer enrolled at USC, the school said last year.If Loughlin and Giannulli had gone to trial and been convicted, they could have faced up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge.They are the 23rd and 24th parents to plead guilty in the case. Actress Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy last year for paying $15,000 to the scam's mastermind as part of a scheme to cheat on the SATs and boost her daughter's test scores. She ultimately served 11 days in prison.CNN's Eric Levenson contributed to this story.
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