Former Full House actress Lori Loughlin has officially taken a plea deal in the college admissions scandal that rocked the country last year. According to an announcement made on Twitter by the official account of the U.S. Attorneys in Massachusetts, Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to plead guilty and will be facing a number of penalties, including fines and jail time.
Loughlin and Giannulli had been accused of using fraudulent credentials to ensure their two daughters, Isabella and Olivia, were accepted to the prestigious University of Southern California.
A release from the Department of Justice specified the terms of the agreement. Loughlin will plead guilty to a count of “conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud” and Giannulli will plead guilty to a “count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.”
As punishment for the crime, Loughlin has agreed to spend two months in prison. She will also pay a $150,000 fine, be under supervised release for two years, and complete 100 hours of community service. Her husband faces a harsher sentence, which includes five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service.
“Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case. We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions,” United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling stated.
It should be noted that — though the attorneys for both parties have reached a deal — the terms still need to be approved by the presiding judge. While it is possible the courts will reject a plea deal — for reasons ranging from public pressure to the belief that monetary amounts are insufficient for restitution — it is not a common occurrence.
Though Loughlin and Giannulli had originally desired to plead innocent, the process — and threat of 20 years in prison — had appeared to take their toll on the couple, who had been described as being “disheveled” and gaunt in court hearings this past summer, as was previously reported by The Inquisitr .
The plea deal comes after a lengthy investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations found several cases of fraud and bribery in the college admissions process. The investigation, codenamed “Varsity Blues,” charged at least 53 individuals with using illegal means to garner acceptances from elite colleges and universities.
Loughlin and Giannulli are not the only famous parents to plead guilty. Hollywood actress Felicity Huffman recently spent 11 days in jail after paying $15,000 to manipulate her daughter’s SAT scores.