Fashion Designer Mossimo Giannulli and wife Lori Loughlin to get Jail Time for College Admissions Scandal

Fashion Designer Mossimo Giannulli got sentenced to 5 months of jail time, and hours later Full House actress Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months, both convicted on conspiracy and fraud charges for the role they played in the college admissions scandal to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California.

Giannulli, who appeared for the hearing via a Zoom video conference, was sentenced to a $250,000 fine and 250 hours of community service. Loughlin, also appearing for her hearing via a Zoom video conference, will pay a $150,000 fine and serve 100 hours of community service.  Giannulli and Loughlin pleaded guilty to charges in May, per plea agreements submitted to the U.S. District Court judge in Boston, Massachusetts, with Giannulli agreeing to five months in prison and Loughlin agreeing to two. The couple also agreed to pay separate fines and community services in May, and federal prosecutors requesting the same amount of prison time, fines and community service in a sentencing memo. Giannulli was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services and mail fraud, and Loughlin with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

The couple paid $500,000 to college admissions mastermind Rick Singer to get their daughters into USC as crew recruits—with falsified athletic records—as part of a larger bribery scheme, according to court documents. Loughlin has “a fairytale life,” the judge said. As he handed down the sentence, he addressed her, saying, “you stand before me a convicted felon, and for what? The inexplicable desire to have even more.” He told Giannulli during his earlier sentencing: “You are an informed, smart, successful businessman. You certainly did know better, and you helped sponsor a breathtaking fraud on our admissions system.

The college admissions scandal investigation, codenamed “Operation Varsity Blues” by the Department of Justice, was made public in March 2019. The group of parents accused in the case were believed to have used phony athletic, academic and test score records, along with bribery, to get their children into Yale, Stanford and USC, among other schools. All but one parent have been sentenced to prison time. Loughlin’s daughter (and influencer) Olivia Jade Giannulli has not returned to USC since August 2019. She was falsely presented to USC as an accomplished coxswain in crew, and fake photos were taken of her on a rowing machine.

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