LORI LOUGHLIN pleads guilty via Zoom in admissions scandal
NEW YORK: American actress Lori Loughlin (pictured above) on Friday accepted potential prison time by pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with her role in a sprawling college admissions scandal.
Loughlin – best known for her role as Aunt Becky in the 1980s90s hit sitcom “Full House” – and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, were among 50 people indicted in an elaborate scam to secure spots for already privileged children at prestigious US universities.
The pair – both dressed in dark attire – appeared stoic as they switched previous “not guilty” pleas in a virtual hearing with a Massachusetts federal judge, accepting a deal with prosecutors that could significantly lighten their punishments.
The proceedings took place via Zoom video conference, due to the coronavirus pandemic that has shut courthouses across the United States.
Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, were accused of paying US$500,000 to gain admission for their two daughters at the University of Southern California as recruits to the crew team – a sport neither had ever trained in.
Loughlin was among the most high-profile personalities indicted in the case. She and her husband were initially charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bribery and transfer funds in the far-reaching scam.
Those charges could carry penalties of up to 45 years in prison.
If federal judge Nathaniel Gorton accepts their pleas, prosecutors will drop the charges of money laundering and bribery, and recommend a sentence of two months in prison for Loughlin and five for Giannulli.