Lori Loughlin Reports To NorCal Prison To Begin Serving 2-Month Sentence In College Admissions Scandal
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — Actress Lori Loughlin reported Friday to a prison in Northern California to begin serving her two-month sentence for paying thousands of dollars in bribes to get her daughters admitted to USC as athletic recruits.
Loughlin reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, east of San Francisco, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. It's a low-security prison which houses over 870 inmates. It also includes a minimum security satellite camp.
The "Full House" star will not be allowed to receive any visitors during her sentence because of coronavirus protocols.
Loughlin reported a few weeks earlier than expected under a deal she reached with prosecutors that she will not seek an early release due to COVID-19 reasons.
"The parties recently agreed that the defendant can report to prison on Oct. 30, 2020, instead of on Nov. 19, 2020," prosecutors said in a statement. "The defendant has further agreed that, during her two month sentence, she will not seek an early release from prison on COVID-related grounds."
Under the Bureau of Prisons' coronavirus protocols, Loughlin will be screened and tested for COVID-19 and will be placed in quarantine for 14 days.
It had been initially reported last month that Loughlin would serve her sentence at a federal correctional institution in Victorville. It's unclear why the venue was changed.
The 56-year-old Loughlin and her 57-year-old husband, fashion mogul Mossimo Giannulli were both sentenced in August to federal prison time for paying $500,000 in bribes as part of the massive college admissions scandal.
Giannulli was sentenced to five-months in prison. He did not report to prison with his wife Friday.
Loughlin will also be required to pay a $150,000 fine, receive two years of supervised release and conduct 100 hours of community service.
In May, Loughlin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while Giannulli pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
The two had been set to go on trial in October for paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters admitted to USC as members of the rowing team, even though neither had ever rowed crew. Both daughters have since left USC.
Since early 2019, prosecutors had been putting pressure on Loughlin and Giannulli to plead guilty. In February, federal prosecutors released a copy of a phony resume for the couple's daughter, Olivia Jade, which purports to list her fake achievements in the sport of rowing. In January, prosecutors released a trove of emails and call recording logs between Giannulli, Loughlin and Newport Beach businessman Rick Singer, the mastermind of the college scandal. The emails revealed how USC was trying to court one of the daughters — even as prosecutors said the couple was plotting to get her admitted as a fake rower.
In March of 2019, the FBI charged 50 people — including 35 parents and nine coaches — in a massive bribery scheme dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues" in which wealthy families paid millions to Singer to help their children cheat on standardized tests and bribe test administrators and college coaches to help get their kids into top universities like UCLA, USC, Yale, Stanford and Georgetown.
So far, about 30 parents, including "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman — who served a 14-day sentence last October — have pleaded or agreed to plead guilty in the scandal.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)