Lori Loughlin Feels 'Terrified' Over New Bribery Charge: Her 'Entire Family is in Chaos'
Hours after it was announced that Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli had been additionally charged with bribery in their college admissions cheating case, a source spoke to People about how Loughlin is feeling about the prospect of a 50-year maximum prison sentence. “She is angry, she is sad, but most of all, she is terrified,” the source started.
Loughlin and her husband had been charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud before for allegedly paying $500,000 to make it appear their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella had been rowing team recruits to guarantee their admission to the University of Southern California. With those two indictments, the couple faced a 40-year maximum jail sentence. They pled not guilty and are set to contest their charges in court later.
With an additional decade of prison time possible, Loughlin and Giannulli are really struggling, along with their daughters. “This stress is about to break them,” People's source said.
“The entire family is in chaos right now," the source continued. "They knew this was a possibility, but they all thought that perhaps it was just a bargaining tool from the prosecution. Now that the charges are official, they are realizing that there is no way to avoid a moderately long prison sentence, unless they are found not guilty in a trial.”
Prosecutors are reportedly open to Loughlin working with them on a plea deal, although that plea deal would have jail time attached, as it did for Felicity Huffman. Loughlin initially refused to take a plea deal because she wants to avoid going to prison.
People got a statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling yesterday on what prosecutors hope to achieve with the new charge. “Today’s charges are the result of ongoing investigation in the nationwide college admissions case,” Lelling said. “Our goal from the beginning has been to hold the defendants fully accountable for corrupting the college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud. The superseding indictments will further that effort.”
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