More Charges Filed Against Lori Loughlin, Other Parents In College Admissions Scam
BOSTON (CBS) – "Full House" star Lori Loughlin and several others parents in the college admissions scam are facing more charges. The U.S. Attorney's office announced Tuesday that Loughlin, her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and nine other defendants are now accused of conspiring to commit federal program bribery.
Loughlin and Giannulli had already pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Now a grand jury has returned charges against them and other defendants specifically alleging that they bribed employees of the University of Southern California in order to get their children admitted.
Prosecutors say the couple paid $500,000 to have their two daughters labeled as USC crew team recruits, even though neither are rowers.
USC confirmed to WBZ-TV on Tuesday that Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose, are not currently enrolled at the school.
The new charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
"They're now looking at 5-10 years in jail," said WBZ legal analyst Phil Tracy. "There's a lot of money involved and that makes the stakes go higher."
Another defendant, Lynnfield's John Wilson, is now charged with two counts of substantive federal programs bribery. The U.S. Attorney's Office said he tried to use bribes to get his children into Harvard and Stanford universities.
Actress Felicity Huffman has started serving her two-week sentence for her role in the admissions scam. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and said in an apology that she's "deeply ashamed" of her actions.
"In some cases people say I know I did something bad, I got caught, I'm sorry, I accept responsibility," Tracy said. "You don't see that with these people. There's no contrition whatsoever."
