After months in limbo, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo
Giannulli, finally know their fate with regard to the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions
scandal.
After being accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to secure their daughters' admission
to the University of Southern California, the couple initially pleaded not guilty in
federal court, but they later pleaded guilty in May 2020 as part of a plea deal. As of
August 22, 2020, Loughlin and Giannulli have both been sentenced to months in federal prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Massachusetts, Loughlin was
sentenced to two months in prison, along with two years of supervised release. She was also
required to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $150,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Giannulli faces five months in prison and two years of supervised release,
along with a requirement to complete 250 hours of community service and pay a fine of $250,000.
Prior to their plea deals, both Loughlin and Giannulli faced up to 40 years in prison,
as charges of bribery and money laundering carried hefty prison sentences. As one legal
expert told Fox News, Loughlin should be thankful that the sentence wasn't worse.
While both she and her husband are surely relieved at the light sentence, the couple
also expressed remorse for their actions.
After U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton handed down their sentences, Loughlin and
Giannulli apologized for their deceptive actions. Taking responsibility for his part in the
scheme, Giannulli expressed deep regret for the harm that his actions caused, adding,
"I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward with the lessons I've learned
from this experience."
Loughlin, on the other hand, said she hopes to, quote, "use this experience as a catalyst
to do good and give back for the rest of my life."
She added,
"I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality, it only undermined
and diminished my daughters' abilities and accomplishments. More broadly and more importantly,
I now understand that my decision helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society generally
and the higher education system more specifically."
While there have been no reports as to when Loughlin and Giannulli will begin their sentences,
both Loughlin and Giannulli must surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons no later than
November 19, 2020.
Legal expert Gregory Stone told Fox News that Loughlin is getting off easy, and could have
faced a long sentence if she had allowed the case to go to trial. In addition to her short
prison sentence, she is also likely to have an easy time with community service. According
to Stone,
“It is unlikely Loughlin’s community service will involve anything such as picking up trash
on the side of the freeway. She will probably be able to do public service announcements
as community service.”
But what can Loughlin expect from her time behind bars? Well, according to other commentators,
the experience could be traumatizing.
While many have criticized Loughlin's seemingly light prison sentence, experts have noted
that even the shortest stay will leave the star changed forever.
"Honey, I'm just as scared as you."
Attorney Debra Bogaards told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2019,
"While federal prisons may resemble more of a country club, hence the nickname "Club Fed,"
they are still grim, grimy and uncomfortable. It is not an easy ride...They still sleep
in a dormitory. It's still cramped. They typically work eight hours a day at a very low pay rate,
pennies on the dollar. They have to wear uniforms rather than their designer clothing. And the
food, they're not going to find their gluten free, vegan specialties."
Former inmate Evie Litwok also noted that, quote, "prison is traumatizing for life" and
that Loughlin probably will not have an easy time. She told Yahoo,
"They may have a little more stuff, pay someone to do their laundry for them or get special
favors from inmates taken with their celebrity, [but] it wouldn't make prison and the loss
of your freedom any better."
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