As we learned yesterday, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli suddenly decided to take a plea deal in their long-winded case stemming from Operation Varsity Blues. Lori and Mossimo schemed, bribed and defrauded their daughters’ way into USC. Lori became some kind of ungodly Becky-Karen hybrid where she was constantly running to People Magazine to whine about how unfairly she was being treated, because she was completely innocent and “faith-based.” Fifteen months of that bullsh-t, only for Lori and Mossimo to take a plea deal similar to the one they were offered soon after they were charged.
They each plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Mossimo will also plead guilty to one count of honest services wire and mail fraud. The tentative terms of the sentencing recommendation to the judge for Lori was two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years probation, plus 250 hours of community service. Mossimo will get a sentence of five months in prison with a $250K fine and the same number of community service hours. Of course, a judge has to sign off on everything, including the sentences. That will happen this morning in a Boston federal court, scheduled for 11:30 am EST. Apparently, the hearing can be seen on Zoom. As for why they decided to take a plea deal now, well… of course they ran to People Mag:
Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli regret not taking a plea deal sooner, sources tell PEOPLE. On Thursday, the couple agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges connected to the college admissions case, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice. Now, over a year after they were first charged, a legal insider tells PEOPLE that they wish they had taken a deal sooner.
“In hindsight, they should have taken the first deals offered to them last spring, which were nearly the same exact terms as this deal,” the insider says. In April 2019, Loughlin and Giannulli refused any agreements that would result in jail time, instead choosing to move forward with a trial. Under federal guidelines, both of them would have gotten between 18-24 months in jail under a plea agreement. Felicity Huffman, who was also charged in the scandal, agreed to plead guilty and served 11 days of her two-week jail sentence.
“They would have spent their time in jail by now and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But they were still reeling from the accusations and trying to understand what they did that was allegedly wrong and illegal, so they weren’t ready to take the deal then,” says the insider. “But looking to the future, it made sense to take their medicine and move on.”
A second source says the pending case weighed heavily on the couple. “They were adamant about not agreeing to a plea deal from the beginning, because they didn’t think the charges against them would hold. But as the prosecutor kept adding more felony charges, they were getting more involved in their defense and things just started spinning. It felt like it was never going to end,” says the source, adding, “They are of course concerned about jail time amidst the coronavirus outbreak.”
Now that they are moving forward, the stars are “breathing a sigh of relief,” the legal insider says. “Lori and Mossimo are going through the legal process and want to put this behind them,” a source close to the couple notes.
After fifteen months of PR shenanigans, thousands of billable hours by a team of lawyers and the knowledge that if they took this to trial, sh-t could most definitely GET REAL, that’s when Lori and Mossimo decided that a few months in prison actually sounded quite reasonable. And it is? If this was similar to the deal they were offered last year, I have no idea why they didn’t take it then. Was it because of white privilege? I bet that’s it.
Page Six also did a piece with “sources” insisting that Lori has “been to hell and back — and will pay for the rest of her life…She’s the sweetest person, this has ruined her life forever, I feel like she’s already paid her dues at this point as this has been so stressful for her.” Oh f–king spare me.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
She has dead eyes in every picture! She’s a lying sack of dog poo, and I have no sympathy for her or her family.
Also, I think her daughters need to be held accountable, because they’re complicit in this,
How were the children complicit? They were minors at the time, and followed their parents orders to take pics, go to college, etc. The bribes weren’t the children’s personal money. Neither child expressed any desire to even go to college. Nothing in the evidence presented showed they were part of the meetings with the individual who facilitated the bribery or had any knowledge what their parents were doing. What is the legal basis for your claim? Remember being a shallow, over privileged white person is not a crime.
Those kids were old enough to understand that they were doing something wrong, and old enough to say that they didn’t want to do it.
It’s a tricky situation, though, Izzy. I think it’s a gray area here, because just imagine trying to tell this Becky b-tch that you didn’t want to live your life the way SHE wants you to. From everything we’ve seen, it clearly wouldn’t fly. Hell, the daughter didn’t even WANT to go to college, but Lori had to meddle.
Her kids were clearly an extension of her ego, and I don’t think she’d have stopped even if they protested.
Didn’t Olivia laugh about what her folks were doing, very early on? She knew.
I consider the girls complicit because they were around 18 and nobody can FORCE you to attend college. It’s not legally required, nobody there will babysit you and the girls could have said no, made other plans or dropped out at any point of their own volition. Instead, they either chose to either actively aide their parents in fraud or just kept their mouths shut, posing for fake photos making them out to be athletes that they were not and signing application/admittance forms where I’m sure they had to state that “the aforementioned information is true.”
Doubt they will, but if they try to attend other schools in the future, I think they should be banned or face academic probation/some kind of extra criteria to prove they’re not just misrepresenting themselves again. Hopefully future employers/business partners keep a sharp eye on them too.
They were part of the fraud. So what if they were still teenagers? If they had cheated on the SATs to get in, would you say “well, they were legally minors so they are not complicit in the cheating”?
The “children” took photos of themselves posing as crew athletes…my own child, younger than hers, knows the difference. Technically her offspring aren’t complicit, but COME ON
If they don’t serve time because of the pandemic, my head will explode.
I bet that’s why they’re taking the deal now.
@BW that was my thought. Who wants to take bets they’re petitioning to get out ASAP? I’ll bet the lawyers already have the paperwork to file the second they’re remanded.
Their words of “regret” re: the last plea bargain are total bullish*t. They’re taking the deal now because of the Virus. They’ll not spend a day in prison or even in country club jail. They’ll get house arrest, a fine, some b.s. community service and their lives will be exactly the same.
Yes, she’ll work.
Yes, he’ll make money.
Yes, their kids will make a fortune as “influencers.”
Crime pays if you’re in the right tax bracket
It would be great if the judge said, “Due to the current danger of contracting COVID-19 in prison, you will serve your time a year from now.”
I wonder if their decision to plead instead of fight was tactical because they figure they WILL get released immediately due to COVID-19.
They likely won’t serve this time NOW, but hopefully the courts will instill a “delayed” conviction. I think it’s almost worse to know the punishment will happen in an undetermined future.
I’m hoping the judge will defer their prison sentence until the virus is over. Didn’t they do that for the housewife? It was somehow differed because she and her ex had to take turns.
They were certain that they would have beaten the rap because of their whollier than thou attitude. They should receive more time and more fees for having dragged this out for so long. They have been through enough, bullshit! They are crooks.
I love that they initially thought they could beat it “but the prosecutor kept adding more felony charges!” Wahh! The nerve!
Which is typical in a federal case. They’ll bury you in conspiracy charges until you surrender.
I don’t believe she’s sweet, sorry. Just never got that from her, at all. Especially if it’s true that they’re both Trumpsters (and I believe it is true). There’s no “sweet trumpsters”. Maybe they are nice to you, but check yourself in the mirror. I bet you’re white and privileged. She’s not sweet, stop.
Lori Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli, is a very vocal Trump supporter who frequently complains about people not ‘Carrying Their Own Weight. “Wealthy White Privilege” doesn’t possess a hypocrisy gene.
In March 2019, Tom Arnold tweeted that he got into it with for 10th time with #CollegeCheatingScandal DAD at a big party because Mossimo was sloppily intoxicated and rambling on again about Trump and people not carrying their own weight and his own conservative politics being “right of Attila the Hun.” Arnold said Mossimo embarrassed his Scandal MOM wife Lori again — as he behaves this way quite often.
It appears the Loughlin-Mossimo family took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to lesson their prison sentences. I feel sorry for the organizations that will have to endure unregretful, remorseless Loughlin-Mossimo’s community service.
It took them this long to understand what they did was wrong? Yeah, no amount of community service is going to fix that. They are only sorry they got caught. I bet they still don’t get it.
“been to hell and back — and will pay for the rest of her life…She’s the sweetest person, this has ruined her life forever, I feel like she’s already paid her dues at this point as this has been so stressful for her”
B@tch please! You weren’t wrongfully accused of murder. You willfully and knowingly committed fraud. Being “sweet” doesn’t mean you aren’t shady too.
Listen, listen carefully. Can you hear the plaintive sound of the tiny, tiny violin playing for her?
That’s exactly why they are talking the deal now, because they likely won’t serve time due to the pandemic.
Exactly. They know how insane the court system is at the minute (I’m in it, it’s a clogged mess). Judges are trying to keep an many non violent offenders out of jail as possible, depending on guidelines and history. I know this is federal and not state but I wouldn’t be surprised with a quick check in/check out for at least Lori. They’ve learned nothing and are still selfish people.
I get the victim play. And yeah it does suck but you know, she was complicit in it all. She knew they were deceiving people, so not a lot of sympathy. And let’s get real here, there is man who made national news because he was WRONGLY incarcerated for 24 years. A man lost part of his life because he was wrongly accused. She isn’t wrongly accused. I like the idea of having them shell out the money to pay for scholarships.
Considering many people are being early released due to covid, I think it’s pretty obvious why they want to plead out and “serve time” now, because 2/5 months will be very much shortened more than it normally is for good behavior/overcrowding. This way they don’t have to suffer a trial and possibly even more time – the prosecutors get the couple who’ve become the face of Operation Varsity Blues to say they are guilty, serve time and pay fees so it’s a win for them.
I love how they’re acting like the deal was so different – the only reason they decided to plead now is because they know that neither of then is going to see any actual time inside due to COVID. They’ll be allowed to to serve time at home under “house arrest” because (they’re rich and white) of the dangers of the virus and jail overcrowding. So let’s just save this fake ass humility,
Their lives aren’t going to change at all and now that they’ve “accepted responsibility” for their actions, they’re free to give soppy interviews to all the conservative outlets about how Jeebus got them through it all.
Disgusting.
@ grabbyhands : I think you’re right – they will likely try to use the pandemic to stay out of jail and get house arrest. I was a criminal defence lawyer in a past life (pre-2014) and it is unheard of for a plea deal to get better or stay the same after all this time. The plea deals are sweet at the beginning because the prosecutor wants you to take the damn deal and save him/her all the work of dealing with the case. If you don’t make it worth the effort (or lack thereof) for them, then no sugar for you, honey.
So they regret not taking the advice of their lawyers? Who more than likely told them to take the plea? They just can’t stop outing themselves as dumbf*cks, can they…..
This whole thing makes me f**king sick – this BITCH! What really pisses me off is the real, hard working students/athletes who didn’t get their places in these elite colleges b/c these rich, privileged parents paid their way for their sub-par children to gain admittance! And obviously, they finally took this plea deal now, hoping because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they will barely have to serve prison time. UGH!!! I hope she is shunned from Hollywood forever! I am so tired of her trying to play some victim narrative here! At least Felicity Huffman was a grown up, and admitted her mistakes!!
I’m really tired of Felicity being held up as some paragon of virtue and given a pass just because she was smart enough to realize that she was caught red-handed early on and admit it. The only thing that schemer did was play the role of the remorseful one really well. She’s an ACTRESS. Not much of a stretch. She willingly cheated and didn’t care if other honest students were harmed in the process. The ONLY thing she’s really sorry about is that she got caught. Bitch.
Felicity finished her community service at a centre to help teens get their GED. She had been volunteering with them for over two years before she was sentenced. She also has a new charity volunteer position with an organization that helps guide female ex-inmate after incarceration into a healthier lifestyle and ability to help themselves.
I think being an actress absolutely played a part in her crime and sentencing, but I also think she’s sincere in her volunteer work.
That’s exactly it, Lady D. There’s a sense of actual sincerity with Felicity. She f-cked up big time. And she deserved to have her name tarnished, a fine paid, and she deserved that jail time. But at the very least, she was an adult, took responsibility, and humbled herself. No, she doesn’t deserve a cookie for it – but she makes it a hell of a lot easier to believe that she’s learned a lesson and is mortified than these two morons do.
@Other Renee – I wasn’t implying that Felicity is some paragon of virtue AT ALL! I was just saying that she didn’t pretend to hide from her mistakes a la Aunt Becky. She make a huge mistake having someone else take her daughter’s SAT in order to improve her chances for admission, no doubt! It’s horrible! But she was sincere and honest and admitted to her mistake and she faced the consequences. Do I think she should have served more time? Yes, but that is the justice system. I just think there is a world of difference between how Felicity handled herself in this crisis and how Lori has. But clearly, they both tried to cheat the system with their wealth and privilege and that is beyond disgusting!
I bet they will be serving “Paris Hilton” time. Show up at the jail, get arrested, booked and released in all of about 5-6 hours.
Trump and his band of idiots get away with everything, but lets throw the books at Lorie and family. Bribing schools has been going on for years, how do u think Tiffany Trump got into law school.
They didn’t take the initial deal bc they couldn’t figure out what was “allegedly” wrong about what they did? Forget legal, they can’t even figure out what was wrong about lying/bribing/cheating. My blood. It boils.
The part that struck me most was that they spent that 15 months trying to understand what they did was illegal 😳 really? That’s some shit right there 😂 and they still don’t understand it but they want to look to the future 🤣🤣🤣 wow privilege. *sigh* I wish I had some of that.
I don’t like then by an means but how do you equate not wanting to go to prison white privilege?
Okay—–it’s not about not wanting to go to prison. Nobody wants to go to prison.
It’s about being raised to think that your sorry a$$ doesn’t deserve to be in prison for pulling a stunt like they did.
It would feel more like justice if the fines they pay go into a guaranteed scholarship for the two students who were bumped off the list so these two “athlete” girls could party at college. And frankly, USC should pay the balance of the 4-year tuition. And then publicly show that they have a program of checks and balances so that buying your way in doesn’t continue.