Lori Laughlin Has Been Released From Prison After Serving Almost 2 Months

Dec 28, 2020 by apost team

Disgraced Full House star Lori Laughlin was released from prison today, a mere few days shy of her two-month mark. The actor was discharged from a federal correctional facility in Dublin, California, where she served a jail sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal for which she pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Federal prosecutors formally sentenced Loughlin, 56, to two months in prison while her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, 57, five months, for their roles in the 2019 college admissions scandal.

Last year, Loughlin and Giannuli, fellow actor Felicity Huffman and dozens of other wealthy parents became entangled in a high-profile major college admissions scam. A federal investigation was released to the media in March 2019, revealing that at least 53 parties had bribed college officials and ACT and SAT administrators to get their children admitted to their respective colleges. Many months of lengthy court hearings and guilt denials ensued before the Loughlin and Giannulli finally flipped their pleas to guilty for one count of fraud this May. 

The couple was accused of paying Rick Singer and Key Worldwide Foundation $500,000 to get their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli, 20, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 21, admitted into the University of Southern California under the pretense that both girls were recruits for the school's rowing team. Neither had ever played that sport. 

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While Giannulli and Loughlin insisted on their innocence for over a year, they finally entered a guilty plea deal on August 21. In addition to her jail sentence, Loughlin had to pay a $150,000 fine and complete 150 hours of community service. According to NBC, the actor reported to a federal prison in Northern California on October 30, after surrendering herself 20 days earlier than the date the court had designated for her. Her husband was booked into a federal prison in Lompoc, near Santa Barbara, on November 19. 

PEOPLE reported back in November that the couple's daughters, for whom they had committed the bribery for, were "beyond worried."

"It's just a nightmare for them," a source told the publication at the time. "They were very upset when they said goodbye to Lori. But to have both of their parents now in prison at the same time is very upsetting." 

On how Loughlin had coped with being behind bars, a legal source revealed that she was holding up well. The source says that she was "a little weepy," on her first night in prison but quickly pulled herself together. She is not being bullied by, nor is did she have to deal with any specific problems.

"She's using this time to focus on herself, but she's also interested in hearing the stories of the other inmates. She realizes she's no better and no worse than any of them. Lori is resolved to finish her sentence with her head held high," the source added.

Justin D. O'Connell, an assistant U.S. attorney in Boston, argued that Giannulli was the more "active participant in the scheme," since he made the payments and took the infamous photos of his daughters posing with a rowing machine, and should therefore serve a longer prison sentence than his wife. 

Charging documents from last year revealed that the couple's daughter, 20-year-old Olivia Jade, had been CC'd on at least one email with the scheme's organizer, William "Rick" Singer. According to Daily Mail, the memo adds that Olivia's parents guided her through the process, especially regarding how to handle a potential whistleblower: an unnamed counselor at Olivia's high school. The document also describes Loughlin as "complicit" in the fraud, accusing her of "eagerly enlisting Singer a second time for her younger daughter, and coaching her daughter not to 'say too much' to her high school's legitimate college counselor, lest he catch onto their fraud."

When Olivia asked her mom if she should list USC as a top choice for college, Loughlin called the counselor a "weasel" who could "meddle" in the plan. She advised her daughter, "Don't say too much to that man."

The prosecution reiterated that Giannulli was the primary communicator with Singer and that he had intimidated a counselor who questioned Olivia's recruitment to USC, appearing at the school to confront the man over, in the counselor's words, "why I was trying to ruin or get in the way of their opportunities." Singer's contact within the athletic department left a voicemail with Singer and asked him to tell parents not to show up unannounced on school campuses or to yell at counselors (the administrator has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering, fraud, and bribery, whereas Singer has pleaded guilty to four felonies).

Among the 53 individuals accused in the scandal was the former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, who pleaded guilty in September 2019, almost immediately after being charged. According to ET, Huffman was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud after paying $15,000 to the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), a now-debunked fraudulent non-profit that ran as a charity but served the purpose of money laundering the parent's funds to Singer. The bribery would help her 19-year-old daughter Sophia Macy land a high score on her SAT exam and ensure her a spot in an elite college, with a third party corrected mistakes Macy made on her SATs after she was done.  

In contrast to Loughlin and Giannulli, Huffman quickly accepted responsibility for her actions and was sentenced to just 14 days in prison, one year of supervised release, 250 hours of community service, and a $30,000 fine. The actor released a statement following her sentence, in which she expressed regret for her actions and apologized to her family for the high-profile scandal. 

"I have always been prepared to accept whatever punishment Judge Talwani imposed. I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period.... I would like to apologize again to my daughter, my husband, my family and the educational community for my actions. And I especially want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices supporting their children."

Huffman reported at a correctional facility in Dublin, California, on October 19, 2019, and was released after 11 days. 

Following Loughlin's release and the successful payment of her fine, the actor is expected to complete the remaining 100 hours of community service to finish her sentence.  People confirmed that the actor was released on her expected date, December 28, although the actor had hoped to be home in time for Christmas. Her husband is scheduled to be released in April 2021. 

What do you think about the college bribery scandal? Let us know in the comments, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!