Lori Loughlin, 'not seeing how serious this is,' rejects plea deal: How much prison time is she facing?

Before being hit with additional money laundering charges in connection with the college bribery case, Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli were offered a plea deal -- and rejected it.

Multiple outlets report that the couple, likely facing 18-24 months behind bars before the new charges, is "in worse shape than before" because of their decision not to take a deal and could now be facing upwards of 20 years in prison for each charge -- a possible total of 40 years -- if convicted.

"They weren't ready to accept" prison time, a source told People. "They're really not seeing how serious this is."

SEE ALSO: Update emerges on Lori Loughlin's daughters' status at USC amid scandal

"They were offered the carrot and the stick," the insider continued. "The carrot was that this can all go away and you can serve your time and put it behind you. Remember, they were facing 20 years, even before the latest charges. The stick was that [the prosecution] would and could pile on more serious charges."

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to get both of their daughters into the University of Southern California under the false pretenses that they were recruited for women's crew, despite the fact that they had never rowed before.

The money was reportedly funneled through admitted ringleader William Singer's nonprofit, Key Worldwide Foundation, which officials and Singer say was actually used to accept bribes from parents involved in the alleged years-long scheme to get their children into elite universities.

Reports state that all parents charged in connection with the wide-ranging scam were offered plea deals -- all of which involve likely, but reduced, prison time -- and, if not accepted quickly, they were faced with the threat of additional charges.

SEE ALSO: Felicity Huffman pleads guilty -- how much prison time will she get?

Loughlin and Giannulli "decided to roll the dice and it may have been a bad gamble," the People source added. They're among 16 parents who were slapped with additional charges on Tuesday.

Legal experts explained that, while the couple's actual sentences could look more like 5 years behind bars, "she's doing herself no favors by treating these court appearances like she's going to the Oscars." After signing autographs for fans upon her arrival in Boston last week, Loughlin turned heads by shaking the hands of her prosecutors and introducing herself at her first court hearing.

"What the court is looking for is humility," a legal expert told People.

Meanwhile, Felicity Huffman, also charged in the case, announced on Monday that she was pleading guilty in the case. Sources say that she could face around four months in prison after accepting a plea deal. It's worth noting that her likely prison sentence was always estimated to be shorter, as the amount of her alleged bribe -- $15,000 -- was significantly less than the $500,000 that Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying.

"I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions," Huffman said in a statement.