Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli agree to a guilty plea & prison time

Lori Loughlin at arrivals for Hallmark C...

We’ve spent the last YEAR hearing from Lori Loughlin about how she’s too white, too rich, too privileged and too faith-based to ever have to face the consequences of all of her criminal activity. Lori and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were charged with a variety of crimes in connection to their attempts to bribe and defraud their two daughters into college. Most of the parents in connection with Operation Varsity Blues took plea deals. Felicity Huffman was one of those parents – she got sentenced to a few weeks in prison, and they let her out early on good behavior. But Lori held out, thinking that she could simper and PR her way out of trouble. Now she’s taking a plea deal.

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to a plea deal in connection with their involvement in the college admissions scandal. The “Full House” actress and the fashion designer will serve two months in prison, pay a $150,000 fine and have two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service for conspiracy charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

The “Full House” actress and husband Mossimo Giannulli will plead guilty to conspiracy for allegedly passing off their daughters as elite athletes and securing their admission to the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors in Boston said.

Loughlin has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and Giannulli is now expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud, authorities said.

[From ABC News & NBC News]

Two months in prison? She’ll probably go there and get released in a matter of weeks. But what do you make of the larger story of Lori and Mossimo suddenly deciding that they didn’t want to fight this out in a trial? Was it just a matter of the prosecutors making a better plea offer? Or was this always what was on offer and Lori finally came around to the idea that she would have to do some time?

Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli exiting courthouse

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.

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84 Responses to “Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli agree to a guilty plea & prison time”

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  1. Ali says:

    Wonderful news

  2. 123qwerty says:

    They agreed to do this when they’re trying to reduce non violent prison stays becasue of COVID19? I see you, Lori. I see you.

    • Darla says:

      This was my very first thought when I saw the news on twitter.

      They’re not going to serve any time because of the virus.

      This is stunningly opportunistic. It made me feel very sick immediately. I mean, this is Trumpian in its gleeful manipulation of mass tragedy for personal benefit.

    • Rapunzel says:

      Deleted.

    • TQ says:

      Yep. Totally about Covid-19 non-violent releases. This is exactly why they took the deal now. Doubt they’ll do any time.

    • lucy2 says:

      Exactly. I hope the judge, if they can, suspends it until the covid threat is passed, so they have to do full time, but that probably won’t happen.

      They should have taken a plea right off the bat though, they could have been done and moving on months ago, and saved a ton of bad publicity and legal costs.

    • FHMom says:

      I agree. They are hoping they won’t see time because of Covid 19. Plus, there will be very little news coverage of it. I assume this is costing them a fortune in legal fees, too, that they would like to be done with.

      • holly hobby says:

        They will still have “felon” listed on their record so I take cold comfort in that.

    • holly hobby says:

      Yep exactly. In and out in a matter of days.

    • Yuzu says:

      Exactly. They’ll be on house arrest in days.

  3. WilliamJoelene says:

    Fortunate White People

    • SomeChick says:

      Defrauding While White

      I hope they make them wear ankle monitors at the very least.

  4. Michael says:

    I am ok with the light sentence frankly. They are not a “danger to society” and the fact that they pled guilty and will have to serve time with the”little people” is surely a massive punishment in their minds. I hope the community service is meaningful and I hope it helps change their perspective on how important they are relative to the rest of the world. It would have been over by now if they just put their egos aside.

    • The Truth Piper says:

      Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli and their two daughters will forever be the poster children for entitled “Wealthy White Privilege” in America.

      IF Lori Loughlin of Hallmark “feel-good” TV movie fame lives the faith-based life she claims, THEN her family’s crime, she and her husband’s guilty pleas, their court sentences, and the subsequent public humiliation played out on the national stage will haunt the Loughlin-Mossimo family for the rest of their lives.

      ** Only the Loughlin-Mossimo family knows for sure whether they used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to cop a plea deal and reduce their prison time. Guilt and shame are toxic emotions that eat people (even the wealthy white privilege) alive.

    • K says:

      I agree, these are such stupid, non-violent crimes that they aren’t a real danger to others. The real consequences are having to live with the public mocking them, calling their daughters out as clearly spoiled and the parents accepting the label of “guilty cheaters” that they earned. Spending more money to fight and endlessly deny that they broke the law wastes the court’s time and helps no one, so at least they’re accepting some consequences and will move on, humbled enough to hopefully avoid future scandals.

  5. Zen says:

    Yeah they will serve very little time. There was a mom from Surrey BC who paid around $500k to get her son in to UCLA on a soccer scholarship. She served 5 months in jail.

  6. Rapunzel says:

    Idiot could have already put this behind her… and her prison time is 2 months vs. the 2 weeks that Felicity H got. Congratulations, you played yourself, Aunt Becky.

    • sa says:

      She only got that long, but I just looked it up, and for Felicity Huffman’s deal the prosecutors agreed to recommend only 4 months of prison. So it seems like she got a better deal than Huffman, which is a little fishy…

      But, this says she will serve 2 months, whereas Huffman’s deal was that prosecutors would recommend 4 months, so maybe that’s the difference?

      • Scal says:

        Mossimo got 5 months so I think they purposefully worked it out so one of them would get less time. The DA gets to have the pair of them combined have more time than just Huffman alone.

        If it had just been one parent, I’m sure they would have gotten a similar deal

  7. Anon says:

    They are getting off easy…

  8. Barbiem says:

    Ahhhh, someone convinced her she was going to end up with 10yrs if she didnt take a plea. I was hoping she went to court.

  9. Pamspam says:

    I wish the fine was more and there were more community service hours required.

    • lizzieb says:

      @Pamspam. I see your point, but my initial reaction to community service was that it was unfair to inflict these two on some unfortunate charity. I was kind of hoping for house arrest and a record that will impair their ability to travel. She strikes me as the type to use her community service time as Pr to show how rehabilitated she is…then shed some tears, give a People interview of her looking contrite. Then making a Hallmark movie

    • vertes says:

      Huffman got 250 hours of community service. She’s gone beyond that & still works with a group for very disadvantaged teens & another for incarcerated women.

      Lori should have gotten much more mandated comm svc.

      • Hoot says:

        The husband will pay a $250,000 fine, five months’ prison time, and 250 hours of community service.

  10. Original Jenns says:

    Exactly. Lori knew now was the time to make the deal, all courts are trying to keep non violent offenders out of jail right now if their sentencing guidelines fit. She probably thinks in the end she won’t even go in. Now is the time to make a deal, the sentences can running on the lenient side. All I can say is, she’s not sorry, she’s using the opportunity a deadly pandemic brought her to get out of jail. She is loathsome.

    Justice? Maybe. Maybe the best justice for her would be no more tabloid attention. Just stuck in her house with her messy marriage and vapid daughters.

    • ATLMathMom says:

      “All I can say is, she’s not sorry, she’s using the opportunity a deadly pandemic brought her to get out of jail. She is loathsome.”

      Agree. She is trash.

    • holly hobby says:

      The best justice is this tanks her career. I doubt they are wealthy since they put their house up for sale.

  11. Sparkle says:

    Lets see if Olivia Jade will take a break from social media today….i doubt it. Bet she will keep on taking selfies

    • Dutch says:

      And what does it matter if she does. She was very clear she wanted no part of going to college in the first place. Her parents got a slap on the wrists and a fine they can pay with the change in their couch cushions, there’s no need to go into some social media hiatus mourning period.

      • SomeChick says:

        She went along with it. They all knew exactly what they were doing.

        I wonder if they bought the rowing machine just for the photos and now it is in storage.

      • Lizzie says:

        BS. She posed for the fake rowing pics, submitted the fake collage application, attended the school and then pouted because it was so unfair. Those daughters are the worst and should be in jail right beside their mother.
        If she didn’t want to go to collage she wouldn’t have, but she did and committed fraud to do it.

  12. Busyann says:

    These full house people really have some grand ideas lately. First MK wanted to get divorced right now because of Coronavirus, and now Lyin Lori is pleading guilty right now. Obviously she’s not going to serve a single day in jail because of Coronavirus.

    • Flamingo says:

      I don’t think MK is getting divorced because of coronavirus, I think she’s getting divorced and it just so happens to be during a pandemic. I don’t see how MK’s divorce has anything to do with Lori Laughlin.

    • Elizabeth says:

      Getting a divorce is not being “grand” and it’s not a crime. Women who need or want to leave marriages should be free to do so, ALWAYS.

  13. KellyRyan says:

    What poor examples these two are parents, first openly committing fraud, second, both being poor examples and an embarrassment to two daughters. Plea deal without accountability.

    • Esmom says:

      Yes but look at the example we have in our country’s highest office. My feelings are really mixed on this now. I’m glad they’re facing some punishment but it’s barely a scratch on the surface when it comes to the deeply entrenched corruption happening openly all around us.

  14. Lotus says:

    As a Canadian I’m always blown away by the reasons people get sent to prison in America. I think community service and a massive fine should have been sufficient. Instead of that tiny $150k, make them donate a few million to underprivileged childrens education and do 500 hours of community service, something that would generally benefit society.

    • Prayer Warrior says:

      Totally agree @Lotus! Also Cdn…Totally agree

    • Boxy Lady says:

      I think in this instance, jail time can be seen as a deterrant. Some rich people cannot even handle the thought of jail. There’s the humiliation factor of not being catered to and being treated like everyone else as well as being mixed in people they would not ordinarily mix with.

      • schmootc says:

        Yes, this completely. I’m okay with white-collar criminals getting jail time, even though they’re non-violent. They’re mostly rich white people who often seem to have to learn something personally before they can be compassionate. Like Republicans who are anti-gay and then suddenly have a gay child and realize that hey, society treats those on the margins, the poor, etc. like crap, maybe that’s bad?! And also, in this instance, because they didn’t own up to what they’d done and pretended like they didn’t do anything wrong.

    • Meg says:

      More charges were thrown at them so to speak because they kept insisting they were innocent and showed zero remourse. She signed autographs and smiled at her first court date. The attention due to her fame and their refusal to admit any wrong doing they wanted to send a message so other wealthy connected people dont think they can keep getting away with this

    • FHMom says:

      I don’t know what your university system is like in Canada, but in the US it is highly competitive. Ridiculously competitive. I still don’t know what Lori and her husband were thinking because although USC is a fine school, it isn’t Ivy League. The admissions policy in US universities is highly subjective and not fair, so I guess Lori and Massimo wanted to give their daughters an advantage they couldn’t get on their own merit. Very elitist of them.

      • Lotus says:

        The university system in Canada is different, still competitive bc we dont have a huge number of universities but the big difference (other than price) is that we dont do the legacy admittance and we dont do sports scholarships. You only get scholarships based on grades. I always thought the bigger impact on rich people would be to hit them in the pocketbook but you guys might be right, the embarrassment made may be more of a deterrent.

      • Hoot says:

        @FHMom – What Lori and Massimo were thinking is: USC is a highly ranked, private university that is near their home. They could kill two birds with one stone by getting their daughters into USC, because 1) the daughters would have had degrees from a distinctive university and, 2) also been nearby enough for frequent visits. Many parents (and to a lesser degree even some students) do not handle the transition from high school to college very well when families are missing each other.

  15. Lisa says:

    So dumb that she spent all that time and money fighting the inevitable.

    • Carobell says:

      I think it had more to do with the money. Their financial advisors told them to take the plea. Her career is tanked, so no more cushy Hallmark dollars. Once you start having to pull from the principal to pay the lawyers, a few months of jail versus a lifetime of not being able to maintain on your cushy life suddenly makes more sense.

      • sassafras says:

        Totally all about the money. Their stock portfolio dropped, they’re facing a recession, no jobs coming in, gotta cut back somewhere… oh yeah. Lawyers’ fees are a good place to start. These people’s “moral high ground” crumbles if their money does too.

  16. Veronica S. says:

    They know damn well they won’t be in prison due to COVID19. I’m one of those people who is generally against prison sentences for non-violent crimes (unless it’s something with a massive negative sociocultural impact), but it would be nice if that courtesy was extended to the non-wealthy, as well.

    • Alarmjaguar says:

      Exactly, I’m so p*ssed by all these folks (including people like Paul Manafort) who are asking for (and getting) early release because fo the threat of Corona. What makes them so special that they should not be in jail – why is it okay to leave everyone else there in danger? I mean, I know that their race and class are what matters, but still, it is outrageous that we aren’t even pretending here in the US anymore.

    • Purplehazeforever says:

      I’m against prison terms for non violent crimes too..but I agree…it needs to applied to poor people too.

  17. Rapunzel says:

    I’m hoping that the judge, in accepting this plea offer, will make sure that time is served. Maybe they can delay the jail time till things are better?

  18. Green Desert says:

    Sara, tell that to all the black and brown people who spend YEARS in prison for possession of marijuana or other non-violent offenses. As Esmom said, race is a huge factor in the American justice system. Have a seat.

    • Meghan says:

      I watch a lot of Lockup and Hard Time, shows like that and it always FLOORS me when a person of color has been in the jail for 2-3 years waiting for their trial for a lesser offense. I know it shouldn’t surprise me it but it does. Or people who have been in solitary for months to years.

    • Andrew’s Nemesis says:

      @Green Desert I can’t see what comment you’re referring to, but you are SO right – this person should read Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow while taking her seat.

  19. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    Or they had more skeletons in closets on the verge of being made public. Keep everything tight and go behind bars for a few weeks? It’ll be an education and quality fodder for a book and TV movie rights. I wonder who she wants to play her? Hmm.

  20. Ksweet says:

    They’re getting off lightly for sure, like the rich white people they are. The real embarrassment is going to all that trouble for two airheaded, entitled brats who never wanted to go to college in the first place. I’m sure anyone who knew them knew they never would have gotten into USC on their own. Terrible parenting not to ever make your kids work for anything, including academic accomplishment.

  21. Lila says:

    She got super lucky. Attention has shifted away to bigger problems. It bothers me so little has happened to them, but hopefully their careers are trashed.

    • holly hobby says:

      They also got slapped down hard, by the judge, with their latest motion to dismiss. There is no way they were going to get a total exoneration (quoting their dear leader).

  22. Seraphina says:

    Maybe they don’t want other stuff coming out with a trial. It would air out a lot of other laundry and put it out there for all
    To see. Damage control is the name of the game. ALWAYS. I bet she never thought it would come to this but has realized better cut her losses right now.

  23. CROOKSNNANNIES says:

    I would rather have had them have to pay four years tuition for two separate low income students who got into USC and actually deserved to be there but didn’t have the means. I know that’s not a sentence you can lay out but it feels like justice to me.

    • Seraphina says:

      Actually that is pretty brilliant.

    • Melissa says:

      Yea, that is a really good idea. These two are takign the deal because they won’t go to jail due to Covid and the community service done likely won’t be significant or impactful. Paying for 2 kids (each) to attend Uni would be the perfect compromise since the punishment is going to be cursory at best.

  24. JaneDoesWerk says:

    I think they realized with COVID going on that they could probably cut a deal and arrange for house arrest. It seemed like more than anything Lori was trying to avoid doing any prison time so I won’t be surprised if that’s what this is.

    That, or they realized how much they’d already spent on attorneys fees and their stocks took a hit with COVID, they likely won’t be able to unload the house they listed for sale anytime soon with the market and it was a financial decision.

    Maybe a little of column A and a little of column B.

  25. Lily says:

    Aren’t prisoners doing their time put of jail during covid19? They’re doing it in Canada…

  26. Valiantly Varnished says:

    What an utter waste of taxpayer dollars and time. All of that “we have evidence to show we’re innocent” was complete crap – which we all knew. They could have entered this plea MONTHS ago and been out of jail already like Felicity Huffman. Instead they tried to play this case out in the media and they wound right where they were at the beginning.

  27. Tina says:

    Agree with most who say no jail time due to the virus. It’s bullshit

  28. Suzieq359 says:

    Two months in jail and 150k? Privilege. And like others have said the timing is suspect. I always think of this mom whenever Felicity and Lori are discussed, https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/homeless-mom-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-for-using-friend-s-address-to-enroll-son-in-school/ar-AAHkV4W

  29. Lizzie says:

    I wish her daughters had been charged with fraud or something for signing and submitting fraudulent applications. The daughters posed for the fake rowing pic’s and the daughters are the ones who applied to and attended to the school so they participated in fraud and were the ones to benefit.

  30. khaveman says:

    None of this is ever going to change the fact that rich powerful people will buy their kids’ education this way. They’ll just be more careful. Won’t change a thing.

  31. sassafras says:

    Trump can’t pardon them until they plead guilty/ get convicted.

    Because let’s be honest. That’s how this TV show is going to end. Aunt Becky getting pardoned by the President of the United States while an eagle flies overhead. #merica

    • Juls says:

      I realize that there is nothing funny about this situation, but the wording of your comment has me rofl

  32. DenG says:

    Too righteous to lose—is that what “faith-based” means? Oh, the Hallmark humanity!

  33. TheOriginalMia says:

    COVID. They see folks like Manafort and Cohen being released to house arrest. They know it’s a gamble, but they’ll probably spend no more than a few days in the pokey before they are home with ankle monitors.

  34. Teebee says:

    Of course they’re not obligated to explain why they’ve changed their plea from innocent to guilty. But they were so adamant of their innocence and the corruption of the feds that to accept a plea is so disingenuous. Like when Lance Armstrong chose to stop fighting the authorities about his drug use because he felt it was such an unfair fight he couldn’t win, he was giving up. Soon after he admitted he was guilty all along… these two should not be allowed to sweep this incident under the carpet and hope it’ll get lost in the health crisis’ wake. They wasted money and time for nothing. Their punishment to me reflects no consequence for dragging out their case, they should have to reimburse the costs of the investigation after they rejected the first deal offered.

    They are a calculating couple, nothing was done without a lot of consideration. I bet they saw that this health crisis might work in their favour and would help them spend no time in jail with a light enough sentence. They are not sorry they are incapable of feeling contrite. This feels like they ended up getting away with more bad behaviour and haven’t learned a damn thing!

  35. AppleTartin says:

    I think they were going to throw more charges at them and/or bring the girls in on charges for accessory. They are getting a sweetheart deal and agree with everyone. They will use the virus as a reason to get out early. Hopefully the Judge does to them what the LA Judge did to Paris Hilton. No house arrest or early release. What will be interesting to see what happens with the Husband’s fashion brand. Please y’all let it tank.

    • Marianne says:

      I’m pretty sure he sold his company a few years back. So I don’t think he has anything to do with brand.

  36. Moo says:

    Amazing how much they look alike.
    Manipulative to accept plea deal when they know no one is going to put them in prison during a pandemic.
    Sigh. And the world keeps on turning.

  37. Marianne says:

    I think they took the plea deal because they just don’t have the evidence to back them up that they “seriously thought they were just making a donation”. Plus also the fact that every other parent pleaded guilty didn’t help. I’m sure they came to senses and decided 2 months of jail time was better than the 20 they could have got going to trial.