Loughlin's Legal Troubles: Did She Break The Law?

Lori Loughlin, a daytime Emmy-award-winning actress, and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, a fashion designer, were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and mail fraud in 2019. The couple was accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits, despite neither daughter participating in the sport. Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware their actions were illegal and that they were manipulated by those involved. However, if convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison per charge.

Lori Loughlin pleaded not guilty

In 2019, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The charges were brought against them as part of a college admissions scandal, in which they allegedly paid $500,000 to have their two daughters billed as recruits for the University of Southern California crew team, despite neither of them participating in the sport. Loughlin and Giannulli initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Loughlin, best known for her role as Aunt Becky on Full House, and Giannulli, a fashion designer, were accused of paying a $500,000 bribe to have their daughters accepted to the University of Southern California. The couple allegedly funnelled the money through a man named William Rick Singer, who would take parents' requests—either to fix test scores or create fake athlete profiles—and contact the appropriate parties.

Despite the serious charges, Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal that would have resulted in a minimum two-year prison sentence. According to reports, Loughlin "is in denial" about possibly being locked up and "doesn't believe she should have to spend any time in prison". Instead, she and her husband opted to go to trial, risking a much longer prison sentence if convicted.

Loughlin and Giannulli's decision to plead not guilty and reject the plea deal may have been influenced by their belief that they had a solid defence. Their lawyers argued that Singer did not explicitly tell them how he would use the $500,000 to get their daughters into the school. While they were aware that Singer wanted pictures of their daughters on a rowing machine, they claimed they did not know the ultimate goal was to have them admitted as athletic recruits.

However, this defence had some significant flaws. For one, knowledge and intent are key elements of proving bribery, and it is unlikely that Loughlin and Giannulli were completely unaware of how their money would be used. Additionally, according to the complaint, Giannulli personally sent at least $100,000 directly to the assistant athletic director at the University of Southern California, indicating a direct connection between the bribe and the admission offer.

Ultimately, Loughlin and Giannulli did plead guilty to the charges and served time in prison. Loughlin was released in December 2020 after serving two months, while Giannulli was released in April 2021 after serving five months.

She was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering

Actress Lori Loughlin was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering in a college admissions scandal. Loughlin, her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and 14 other wealthy parents were indicted on charges of mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The scheme involved rigging college entrance exams and bribing coaches at top universities to accept their children as athletic recruits, even though they did not participate in the respective sports.

Loughlin and Giannulli were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California (USC) as crew team recruits, despite neither of them playing the sport. The couple allegedly conspired with others to conceal their fraud scheme by funneling bribes and other payments through a non-profit corporation and a for-profit company set up by the scheme's mastermind, William "Rick" Singer.

The federal anti-money laundering law carries severe penalties, including a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering, and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. While Loughlin initially pleaded not guilty, realizing the severity of the charges, she and her husband faced the possibility of a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Loughlin and Giannulli's case gained widespread attention as it was part of a larger college admissions scandal, known as Operation Varsity Blues, which involved dozens of wealthy and prominent parents. The scandal highlighted the lengths to which some parents would go to secure their children's admission to prestigious universities and the corruption within the college admissions system.

She was also charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud

Actress Lori Loughlin, known for her portrayal of Aunt Becky on the sitcom "Full House," became embroiled in a college admissions scandal in 2019. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 to a fake charity run by the scheme's mastermind, William Rick Singer, to have their two daughters accepted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits, despite their non-participation in the sport.

Loughlin and Giannulli initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming they were under the impression they might be bending rules but not breaking the law. They asserted that they were manipulated by those involved and planned to use this as part of their defense strategy. Specifically, they argued that they believed their payment would be used as a donation to benefit the school.

However, as the scandal unfolded, Loughlin and Giannulli found themselves facing additional charges. Among these, Loughlin was also charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. This charge implies an agreement between two or more parties to defraud another through the use of mail services. In this case, Loughlin and other parents allegedly conspired to bribe college administrators and coaches to gain admission for their children.

The conspiracy to commit mail fraud charge is a serious accusation, and it is just one of several charges leveled against Loughlin and the other defendants. The scandal has had far-reaching consequences, with some children of the implicated parents receiving letters warning them that they could become targets of criminal investigations as well.

Loughlin allegedly paid $500,000 to get her daughters into USC

In 2019, Lori Loughlin was charged with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and honest services mail and wire fraud. These charges were the result of Loughlin's alleged involvement in a college admissions scandal, in which she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, paid $500,000 to have their two daughters accepted to the University of Southern California (USC) as crew recruits, despite neither daughter participating in crew.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to college admissions scam ring leader, Rick Singer, to bribe coaches to designate their daughters as athletic recruits for the USC crew team. In exchange for the payment, Giannulli emailed Singer a photo of his older daughter, Isabella, posing on an ERG machine in activewear to make her look like a "real athlete". After Isabella was accepted to USC, Giannulli sent an email to his financial advisor, writing, "Good news my [older] daughter is in [U]SC bad [news] is I had to work the system." The following year, Loughlin was cc'ed on an email to Singer that included similar photos of her younger daughter, Olivia.

Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that they were under the impression they might be breaking rules but not laws. They argue that they felt they were manipulated by those involved and that the money they paid would be used for a donation to benefit the school. However, prosecutors have released emails and photos as evidence of their involvement in the scandal.

She served two months in prison

In 2020, Lori Loughlin served two months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. The actress was involved in the college admissions scandal, Operation Varsity Blues, in which she paid $500,000 to get her daughters into the University of Southern California on false pretenses. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, allegedly bribed college coaches and insiders at college testing centers to help get their children into elite schools. They were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and faced up to 20 years in prison per charge.

Loughlin and Giannulli initially pleaded not guilty, claiming they were under the impression they might be breaking rules but not laws. They felt they were manipulated by those involved and planned to use this as part of their defense. However, they later pleaded guilty, and Loughlin served her sentence in late 2020.

Loughlin's prison sentence had a significant impact on her life and career. It led to her being poked fun at on the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, where she was painted as a cheater. However, she also landed a role as Lt. Bishop on the Prime Video procedural series On Call, which required her to go on police ride-alongs for research. Loughlin shared that this experience gave her a whole new appreciation for law enforcement.

Lori Loughlin's case serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of breaking the law, even for those with wealth and privilege. It also highlights the importance of understanding the legal implications of one's actions, as Loughlin and her husband initially claimed they were unaware that their actions were illegal.

Overall, Loughlin's two months in prison were a small part of a larger scandal that had far-reaching consequences and sparked a national conversation about the integrity of the college admissions process.

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