Lori Loughlin is said to be “freaking out” at the prospect that she will likely face jail time in the college admissions cheating scandal, days after she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted on fresh charges of money laundering.
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Friends close to the Full House star say that she and Giannulli were offered a plea deal on their original charges, with a minimum jail sentence of 2.5 years, but did not take it, because they were unwilling to accept any deal that included prison time.
After they rejected the initial deal, a federal grand jury indicted the pair on additional money laundering charges, which carry a 20-year maximum penalty, on top of the 20-year maximum they already faced on the original charges.
Loughlin, who was allegedly involved in a $500,000 scheme to fraudulently get her children admitted to the prestigious University of Southern California, is now said to be realising the seriousness of the charges that she faces.
While 40 years in prison seems like a wildly unrealistic outcome, it appears that the star will do at least some length of time behind bars. According to a source who spoke with E! News:
“She has been in complete denial and thought maybe she could skate by. She refused to accept any jail time and thought the DA was bluffing. She was adamant she wouldn’t do any jail time. Lori is finally realizing just how serious this is. She is seeing the light that she will do jail time and is freaking out.”
According to a different source who spoke with People, Lori Loughlin was reluctant to plead guilty, in part, because of the effect it might have on her family. The source said:
“She is very concerned about what a guilty plea would do to her daughters, who may not have grasped everything that was going on. Yes, she can think about the public perception of her, but that’s nothing compared to what her daughters think of her. So that is something that has understandably made her less likely to enter a plea.”
This week, former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud in connection with the college admissions scam. She said in a statement:
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
