Lori Loughlin to face bribery charges over college admissions scam

Former Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, have been indicted on a charge of conspiring to commit bribery, in the latest events following the US college admissions scam.

Loughlin and Giannulli already faced charges of conspiring to commit mail fraud and money laundering ,in connection with allegations that they paid $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against 11 defendants, including Loughlin and Giannulli, adding a new charge alleging that they also bribed their way into USC.

All 11 have previously pleaded not guilty.

“Today’s charges are the result of ongoing investigation in the nationwide college admissions case,” said Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney in Boston. “Our goal from the beginning has been to hold the defendants fully accountable for corrupting the college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud. The superseding indictments will further that effort.”

Loughlin, who also featured in Fuller House, has built a lucrative brand as wholesome characters on the Hallmark Channel. She starred in When Calls the Heart, telemovies Homegrown Christmas and Northpole: Open for Christmas, and the Garage Sale Mysteries series, which she executive produced.

The bribery charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, though parents who have pleaded guilty so far have been sentenced to terms ranging from probation to five months in prison.

Felicity Huffman is currently serving a two-week sentence at a US minimum security facility.

Source: Variety