Lori Loughlin's Legal Troubles: Breaking What Law?

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, honest services mail and wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. They were also accused of bribing college officials and coaches with $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California (USC) as crew recruits, even though neither daughter participated in the sport. Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded not guilty to the charges and faced up to 40 years in prison. They were indicted in March 2019 along with over 30 other wealthy parents in a college admissions scandal investigation dubbed Operation Varsity Blues.

Lori Loughlin pleaded not guilty to bribery charges

In 2019, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of bribing the University of Southern California (USC) to designate their two daughters as recruits to the women's crew team, despite not being qualified, to ensure their admission. The couple allegedly paid $500,000 to a fake charity to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, accepted into USC.

Loughlin and Giannulli initially pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. They claimed they were under the impression they might be breaking rules, but not laws, and felt they were manipulated by those involved. However, as the severity of the situation became clear, Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. They each received a sentence of a few months in prison, a fine, and a period of supervised release.

In October 2019, prosecutors added bribery counts against Loughlin and other parents who had fought the accusations. Loughlin and 10 other parents who had pleaded not guilty to earlier fraud and money laundering counts now faced an additional bribery charge. The new charge accused the parents of bribing USC employees to get their children admitted to the school. This superseding indictment carried the possibility of up to 10 additional years in prison.

She and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted for conspiring to commit mail fraud

In 2019, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were indicted for conspiring to commit mail fraud. The couple was accused of paying $500,000 to admissions consultant William Singer to falsely designate their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, as recruits to the University of Southern California (USC) crew team. Neither of the daughters participated in the sport.

Loughlin and Giannulli were charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. They also faced charges of money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and honest services mail and wire fraud. The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges and decided to fight the new college bribery scheme charges. They were facing around 50 years in prison and millions in fines each if found guilty.

Loughlin and Giannulli were indicted as part of a shocking nationwide scam, investigated under the name Operation Varsity Blues. Nearly 50 other parents, coaches, exam proctors, and admissions counselors were accused of taking part in the college admissions scandal. The scandal involved actions such as paying for boosted SAT scores and lying about students' athletic skills to gain them acceptance to elite colleges, including Yale, Georgetown, USC, and Stanford.

Loughlin and Giannulli were released on bail, with Loughlin posting $1 million bail. They both realized the severity of their situation, and Loughlin broke down crying when she heard the number of years she could spend in prison. However, they believed they were manipulated by those involved and were planning to use that as part of their defense.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly bribed officials and coaches with $500,000 to get their daughters into USC

In 2019, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of bribing officials and coaches with $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California (USC) as crew recruits, despite neither daughter participating in the sport. The couple was among dozens of people accused of paying bribes to get their children into top colleges in a sprawling admissions scam.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly first agreed to the scheme for their older daughter, Isabella Rose, as they were told her grades were at or just below the "low end" of USC's admission standards. Giannulli allegedly wrote to William Singer, who is accused of running the scam, in 2016: "We just met with [our older daughter's] college counsellor... I'd like to maybe sit with you after your session with the girls as I have some concerns and want to fully understand the game plan and make sure we have a roadmap for success as it relates to [our daughter] and getting her into a school other than ASU!"

Singer then allegedly presented Isabella to USC as a crew coxswain, even though she did not row competitively. To pull off the alleged scam, Giannulli had to send Singer a photo of Isabella on a rowing machine. After Isabella was accepted to USC, Singer allegedly asked the couple if they wanted him to do "a similar need" for their younger daughter, social media star Olivia Jade. They agreed, and Singer again falsely presented the teen as a coxswain, using a photo of her on a rowing machine.

The two sisters' athletic recruitment caught the attention of their high school guidance counsellor, who started asking questions because they "did not believe that either of the Giannulli daughters participated in crew, and was concerned that their applications may have contained misleading information". Loughlin allegedly emailed Singer: "[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so. I want to make sure she gets those in as I don't want to call any attention to [her] with our little friend at [her high school]. Can you tell us how to proceed?"

Singer allegedly had an employee submit the applications on the girl's behalf. After Olivia was accepted to USC, her high school counsellor met with Giannulli and later emailed him, saying he had spoken with a college admissions official and told them "that you had visited this morning and affirmed for me that [your younger daughter] is truly a coxswain."

Loughlin and Giannulli were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. They initially pleaded not guilty, with sources saying they believed they were breaking rules, but not laws. However, they later pleaded guilty. Loughlin served two months in prison and was released in December 2020, while Giannulli served five months and was released in April 2021.

The couple were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud

In 2019, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. This came as a result of their alleged involvement in a college admissions scandal, wherein they were accused of paying $500,000 to have their daughters accepted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits, despite neither of them participating in the sport.

Conspiracy to commit mail or wire fraud is a federal charge, and it does not require the completion of a fraudulent act to be convicted. Instead, it is the agreement between two or more people to commit fraud and the action of at least one party to follow through with the plan that results in the charge. Mail fraud is when an individual uses the United States mail system to obtain money, property, or other belongings from someone using false statements, misrepresentations, or by concealing certain facts. Wire fraud is similar, but it is done via telephone or electronic communication such as email, fax, phone call, text message, or the internet.

The charges against Loughlin and Giannulli carried the possibility of a severe sentence, with a maximum of 40 years in prison. Ultimately, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison, a $150,000 fine, and two years of supervised release. Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and two years of supervised release.

Loughlin and Giannulli faced up to 40 years in prison

In 2019, the FBI charged Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, along with 51 other individuals, in the college admissions scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues. The couple was accused of paying $500,000 to a scam mastermind, William "Rick" Singer, to have their two daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, recruited onto the University of Southern California's (USC) crew team, despite neither girl being a rower. They even posed their daughters on rowing machines for their admissions application.

Loughlin and Giannulli initially pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, as well as money laundering. However, in May 2020, they agreed to plead guilty. As a result, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison, a $150,000 fine, and two years of supervised release, along with 100 hours of community service. Giannulli, meanwhile, was sentenced to five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and two years of supervised release, in addition to 250 hours of community service.

At the time of their sentencing, Loughlin and Giannulli faced up to 40 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. However, it was unlikely that Loughlin would spend 40 years in prison, as that was the maximum sentence if she had been sentenced to the full extent of the law. According to sources, when Loughlin heard the number of years she could potentially spend in prison, she broke down crying, as the thought of being separated from her loved ones brought her to her knees. Despite this, Loughlin and Giannulli decided to plead not guilty, as they felt they were manipulated by those involved and were planning to use that as part of their defense.

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