Lori Loughlin Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges
by EG
If Lori Loughlin were to get and serve the maximum sentence for the charges against her, she'd be in her mid-90s when she got out of prison. Considering that, she should probably have taken the plea deal that she was offered by prosecutors. But she didn't, and now she faces a trial. Read on for details.
Via People.
Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband pleaded not guilty Monday to two charges against them in the college admissions cheating scandal — and a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE that having rejected an offer for a deal from prosecutors, their plea was “the only choice they’ve got.”
“She probably should have taken the deal, but at the time, she didn’t really realize how serious the charges were,” the source tells PEOPLE.
“More than that, I think she and her lawyers underestimated how motivated the prosecution was. So she didn’t plead, and then they hit her with another charge. Now she’s willing to negotiate, but the prosecution says that the deal is off the table. So the only choice they’ve got is to plead not guilty. That’s all they can do.”
The source confirms to PEOPLE that Loughlin and husband J. Mossimo Giannulli pleaded not guilty to both charges they face: mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people, including Loughlin and fellow actress Felicity Huffman, in the cheating scandal. The two actresses, along with coaches, admissions counselors and parents were accused of such alleged crimes as falsifying SAT scores and lying about the athletic skills of their children.
Get the rest of the story at People.
Do you think Lori will go to prison? Let us know in the comments below.