Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are set to be sentenced today (Friday) for their role in the nationwide college admission scandal. After maintaining their innocence for 14 months, the pair pleaded guilty to shelling out $500K in bribes to get their daughters Olivia Jade and Bella into University of Southern California and committing fraud in May.
Both are expecting to serve time, pay a fine and do community service. She is trying to prepare herself for the worst, but is excited to learn her fate, an insider tells Us Weekly.
“Lori is feeling nervous for the hearing tomorrow, but also looking forward to having resolve,” an insider tells Us Weekly exclusively. “Lori has been through so much because of this decision she made for her children and she’s looking forward to complying with the court’s decision and finally moving forward with her life. Lori is surrounded by her family; everyone is very supportive.”
Earlier this week, prosecutors urged the judge to accept their plea deals today.
“The crime Giannulli and Loughlin committed was serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin O’Connell wrote in a memo on Monday, August 17. “Over the course of two years, they engaged twice in Singer’s fraudulent scheme. They involved both their daughters in the fraud, directing them to pose in staged photographs for use in fake athletic profiles and instructing one daughter how to conceal the scheme from her high school counselor.”
Loughlin’s deal includes two months behind bars, 100 hours of community service, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release. Giannulli’s deal includes five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and two years of supervised release.
An insider says they hope to serve their sentences at different times: “Lori and Moss don’t want to serve their prison sentences at the same time. Among the reasons, even though their daughters are adults, Lori wants one parent to be free to provide emotional support to the girls,” the source said. “Lori’s concern all along has been Isabella and Olivia Jade.”
But legal observers are confused by Loughlin and Giannulli’s silence on the charges against them. Every other prominent parent charges publicly expressed regret and notes of support from family and friends before their sentencing.
“I don't know why you wouldn't want to at least submit something to ensure that this goes the way you want it to,” Matthew Galluzzo, a criminal defense attorney in New York who's not involved in the case, told the Associated Press. “Why not some letters of support from family? Why not a letter from them with some remorse or whatever to make sure it goes through?”