Lori Loughlin among those hit with new charges in college admissions scandal

Lori Loughlin and 10 other defendants in the college admissions scandal are facing additional charges announced on Tuesday.

The office of US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement that Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and others are being charged with "to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission. In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits – with little or no regard for their athletic abilities – or as members of other favored admissions categories," the Boston Globe reports.

TMZ adds that the charges carry a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

When Operation Varsity Blues was announced in early March, Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of spending $500,000 to get both of their daughters, Olivia Jade and Bella Rose, into USC under the false pretenses that they were women's crew recruits. They pleaded not guilty to charges this spring, declining a plea deal that would've offered lesser possible jail time.

Before the additional charges announced on Tuesday, Loughlin and Giannulli were already facing 40 years each behind bars.

Also on Tuesday, USC confirmed that Olivia and Bella were no longer enrolled at the university.

Fellow defendant Felicity Huffman, who pled guilty, was the first of the accused to be sentenced and is currently serving 14 days in prison at a facility in Northern California.

More to come.