Lori Loughlin and other parents hit with new charges in college admissions scam
Actress Lori Loughlin and several other parents were hit with additional charges in the college cheating scandal Tuesday. The U.S. Attorney's office said Loughlin, her husband and nine others are now accused of conspiring to commit federal program bribery, CBS Boston reported.
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are now accused of bribing employees at the University of Southern California to get their children admitted. The additional bribery charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Loughlin and Giannulli had already pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.They have been determined to fight the charges from the start.
Another defendant, John Wilson, is now charged with two counts of substantive federal programs bribery. The U.S. Attorney's Office said he tried to use bribes to get his children into Harvard and Stanford universities.
Actress Felicity Huffman started serving her two-week sentence last week for her role in the admissions scam. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and said in an apology that she's "deeply ashamed" of her actions.
They're part of the 33 parents originally accused in the biggest college admission scandal in U.S. history. Prosecutors have given a stern warning to the parents still fighting back: plead guilty or prepare to face new bribery charges — which could add years to a potential sentence.
Some accused coaches are now also facing the beefed up bribery charge — and that could add up to five more years to any potential sentence.
Carter Evans contributed to this report.