Lori Loughlin Could Face 40 Years in Prison for 'College Admissions Scandal,' Claims Legal Analyst
Lori Loughlin put all her eggs in one basket when she decided not to accept a plea deal in the "College Admissions Scandal", according to Fox News legal analyst Mercedes Colwin.
Colwin appeared on "America's Newsroom" Thursday to discuss the charges against Lori Loughlin and her husband fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and what this could mean for their children and future.
"I think it was a gamble, and a gamble that, frankly, given all of the other parents who've pled, who really have light sentences...it was a gamble they lost," Colwin said on the show.
Related:
Why Lori Loughlin Probably Won't Get Away With College Admissions Scandal
Lori Loughlin 'Learning Prison Lingo,' Reportedly Hires Expert For Max 45-Year Sentence
Lori Loughlin Believes She Was Tricked By College Admissions Scandal Ringleader
Lori Loughlin Allegedly Told Her Daughters To Do Better In High School
What are the charges against the couple?
News of the "College Admissions Scandal" broke in 2019, revealing that Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid the scandal's ringleader William "Rick" Singer $500,000 to ensure their two daughters' admission to USC, by way of crew team recruitment.
While the couple was originally charged with "conspiracy to commit fraud," after not accepting the plea deal, the prosecutor tacked on additional charges.
They are now also facing charges for "conspiracy to commit federal program bribery" and "money laundering," which Colwin pointed out could land them in prison for 40 years if they are convicted.
Their daughters may also be charged now.
While discussing the subject with Fox, Colwin also explained that refusing to admit guilt may not only impact the couples' lives but also implicate their daughters in court.
Not only will their daughters Olivia and Isabella be called into court as witnesses against their parents, but they may also even be charged themselves if their involvement is revealed. After all, both are over the legal age, with Olivia being 20 and Isabella 21.
While Olivia Jade is attempting to put the scandal and her college dreams behind her in pursuit of her Youtube career, many fans weren't too kind on her December comeback video.
One wrote, "Drop the visiting my parents in jail vlog," while another followed up with, "The more she talks, the more you understand why her parents had to bribe her way into college."
Other celebrities involved in the scandal got off easy by taking the plea deal.
While Lori Loughlin is mulling over a daunting 40-year possible sentence, other celebrities involved in the scandal, like "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman , got off much easier after pleading guilty to their crimes.
While Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, she only ended up serving 11 days behind bars. Her husband "Shameless" actor William H. Macy was not charged in the incident, after reports surfaced that he likely complied with detectives.
Huffman was charged and sentenced for "conspiracy to commit mail fraud" after paying Singer $15,000 to correct her older daughter Sophia's wrong SAT scores.
Twitter users are agreeing with Colwin.
Like Colwin, Twitter users are urging Loughlin to just step up, admit guilt and take the plea deal already.
"Lori Loughlin should have just taken the L and went to jail. Felicity Hoffman plead guilty served her time and moved on instead of spending all that money on legal fees," one tweet pointed out.
Another reads, "Send Lori Loughlin to prison already. I can't keep reading about this."
Thankfully for the last Twitter user, one reply predicted this whole thing may soon be coming to an end, writing, "Federal prosecutors aren't messing around with Lori Loughlin and her husband!! Bet they take a plea deal now, before they charge their daughters."
