Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman appeared in front of a federal judge in Boston on Wednesday, April 3, regarding their alleged roles in the nationwide college admissions scandal.
The judge told all defendants — including Loughlin’s husband, Mossimo Giannulli — that they face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years probation and a $250,000 fine. All 13 defendants, including the actresses and the fashion designer, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud on Wednesday.
The Full House alum, 54, and Giannulli, 55, were taken into custody last month after they were accused of paying bribes to ensure that their daughters, Bella, 20, and Olivia Jade, 19, were accepted into the University of Southern California.
According to court documents, the couple allegedly paid $500,000 “in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.”
Loughlin appeared to be in good spirits as she arrived for court on Wednesday. The actress was smiling as she made her way inside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in her tan-colored suit, despite receiving mixed reactions from bystanders. While some fans yelled, “We love you!” to the former When Calls the Heart star, other onlookers taunted Loughlin, screaming, “Lori, pay for my tuition!”
A source revealed in the new issue of Us Weekly that the Fuller House actress has “felt very trapped for the last few weeks, not wanting to leave her house or go out with friends.”
Loughlin’s daughter Olivia, meanwhile, is staying with her boyfriend, Jackson Guthy, amid the backlash. The YouTuber, who has nearly 2 million subscribers, lost several brand deals following her parents’ arrests.
“Olivia hasn’t been out with friends. She is completely in hiding right now,” an insider told Us. “Olivia is posting private Stories on her Instagram, using the only-close-friends option, to share her days on social media with her close circle.”
Huffman, for her part, has been accused of paying $15,000 to help her eldest daughter, Sophia, 18, cheat on the SATs. Huffman and husband William H. Macy, who was not charged in the case, also share daughter Georgia, 17. The Desperate Housewives alum held hands with an unidentified man as she arrived on Wednesday. Macy did not attend the hearing.
With reporting by Marjorie Hernandez
