Lori Loughlin arrived at a California federal prison on Friday where she surrendered herself to start serving a two-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Loughlin and her husband Mossimmo Gianulli, who will serve a longer five-month sentence, were implicated in Operation Varsity Blues, an FBI sting that unraveled a vast college admissions scandal involving bribery and cheating on SAT exams and also ensnared actress Felicity Huffman. After making a deal with prosecutors, Loughlin and Gianulli both pleaded guilty to using the illegal services to get their two daughters into prestigious universities, which prompted a judge to chastise Loughlin for participating “in the corruption of the system of higher education in this country.” Via Variety:
“I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality it only undermined and diminished my daughters’ accomplishments,” she said at the time. “I wish I could go back and do things differently. I have great faith in God, and I believe in redemption and I will do everything in my power to redeem myself.”
After being caught up in the admissions scandal, Loughlin was written out of the final episodes of Netflix’s Fuller House, which deprived Aunt Becky of a proper exit. Loughlin was also written off of the Hallmark Channel series When The Heart Calls, and to add insult to injury, both shows came up with the same silly excuse for her characters’ absence: “She had to go help her mom.” Oof.
(Via Variety)