ActressLori Loughlinand 10 other parents accused ina massive college admissions scandalare facing additional charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
A grand jury in the District of Massachusetts brought new charges against 11 of the 15 parents charged in the college admissions case,including Loughlinand her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli.
Loughlin and the 10 other parents facing new charges have pleaded not guilty to the previous charges in the alleged admissions scheme.
The new charges in the third superseding indictment allege that the 11 defendants conspired to commit federal program bribery by paying off employees of the University of Southern California to facilitate their children’s admission. Arraignment dates have not yet been scheduled.
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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 indictment states.
Andrew Lelling, the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said today’s charges” are the result of ongoing investigation in the nationwide college admissions case. “
” Our goal from the beginning has been to hold the defendants fully accountable for corrupting the college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud , “Lelling said. “The superseding indictments will further that effort.”
Loughlin, best known for her role in the sitcom “Full House,” was one of the dozens of people charged in March in connection with the multi-million dollar scheme.
Federal prosecutors allege she and her husband agreed to pay bribes totaling $ 500, 000 to bolster the chances of their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, gaining admission to USC.
In a statement from the registrar on Monday, USC said Loughlin’s daughters were no longer enrolled. The university declined to give any further information, citing student privacy laws.
Loughlin and actress Felicity Huffman are the most recognizable names of those charged in the sweeping scheme.
Huffmanwas sentenced to 14 days in prisonfor paying a college consultant $ 15, 000 to boost her daughter’s SAT score. Her sentence also included a $ 30, 000 fine, 250 hours of community service and a *** probation.
The “Desperate Housewives” star was sentenced in Boston’s federal court afterpleading guilty in Mayto a single count of conspiracy and fraud. She is currently serving her sentence ina minimum-security prison in Dublin, California, outside of San Francisco.
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