Lori Loughlin surrenders to FBI amid ‘college bribery’ case

Lori Loughlin has surrendered to the FBI after being charged in what authorities have described as a large-scale college admissions bribery scheme. Loughlin, who rose to fame on the sitcom Full House, turned herself in earlier this week and was scheduled for a court appearance. Prosecutors allege that Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, paid $500,000 (Dhs1.8 million) to have their two daughters labelled as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team, even though neither is a rower. Giannulli was released after posting a $1m (Dhs3.6m) bond. Loughlin’s fellow actor Felicity Huffman also appears on the list of some 50 people charged in the case. According to authorities, parents allegedly bribed college coaches and other insiders to get their children into selective schools. Some parents spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, as much as $6.5m (Dhs24m), to guarantee their children’s admission, oficials said.

“These parents are a catalogue of wealth and privilege,” US Attorney Andrew Lelling said at a news conference in Boston, where the indictments were handed up. At least nine athletic coaches and 33 parents were charged. Dozens, including Huffman, the Emmy-winning star of ABC’S Desperate Housewives, were arrested. Huffman posted a $250,000 (Dhs1.2m) bond after an appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles. Her husband, actor William H Macy, has not been charged, though an FBI agent stated in an afidavit that he was in the room when Huffman irst heard the pitch from a scam insider.