Lori Loughlin Is Reportedly "About to Break"
Last week, prosecutors added a third federal charge to the list of Lori Loughlin's charges in the college admissions scandal. According to People, the new development completely blindsided Loughlin and her family, who were expecting to weather the fall as quietly as possible as she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, wait for their next court date on Jan. 17. A source told People that the new charge may just be the thing that unravels Loughlin's veneer thanks to what it could mean for her prison time.
"The entire family is in chaos right now," the source said. "They knew this was a possibility, but they thought perhaps it was just a bargaining tool from the prosecution. Now that the charges are official, they are realizing that there is no way to avoid a moderately long prison sentence, unless they are found not guilty in a trial."
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In a press release last week, the U.S. Department of Justice said that Loughlin, Giannulli, and nine additional defendants "conspired to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children's admission." Even after the new charges were issued, Loughlin has maintained her innocence, though People's sources note that she could be having more regrets about not reaching a plea deal with the investigation.
"Does she regret not taking the deal? Of course she does, because it would have been easier," the source said. "But taking the deal would have admitted guilt, and she believes she was duped by unscrupulous people who enriched themselves off of her. It is her position that she was not some sort of criminal mastermind."
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Throughout the legal process, Loughlin has stuck to her story: She wanted what was best for her daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose. She never expected the ensuing legal trouble because didn't think that what she did was wrong.
"She just wanted what was best for her daughters," the source added. "And it has turned into an ongoing nightmare."
