Loughlin, Giannuli plead guilty in college admission scandal

BOSTON — Hollywood star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli now say they are guilty in the college admission scandal.

The couple changed their pleas in a federal hearing that was held on Zoom because of the ongoing pandemic.

Actress Lori Loughlin said “guilty” when asked what she was changing her plea to. Her husband said the same.

WFXT was on the Zoom court proceeding while outside the federal courthouse.

The judge was physically in the courtroom, while the attorneys and the defendants were in remote locations on video conference.

Loughlin could be seen sitting next to her attorney in front of a dark colored hutch. Giannulli, who had a full beard, was on a different camera next to his attorney.

The couple had been fighting the charges that they paid $500,000 in bribes to the college admission scandal ring leader, Rick Singer, to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California.

An assistant U.S. attorney from Boston read a detailed statement of facts saying the couple posed their daughters on a rowing machine to make it look like they were actually star crew rowers.

The couple could have served up to 20 years in prison but Loughlin’s plea deal has her serving two months. Her husband would serve five months. The judge still has to accept the plea deal.

Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman was the first of more than 30 parents charged in the scandal to serve a prison sentence. She paid $15,000 to have her daughter's test scores boosted. Huffman was released from prison in October after serving 11 days of her two week sentence.

Both Loughlin and her husband are scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, August 21. That date could change.