Lori Loughlin begins prison sentence in college admissions scandal

Lori Loughlin on Friday reported to a federal prison in Northern California for her two-month prison sentence in the college admissions cheating scandal, authorities said. A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said the actress is now in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin.

Earlier this year, Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after a judge denied their motion to dismiss the case. Prosecutors said the couple paid $500,000 to secure their daughters’ admission to the University of Southern California by masquerading them as fake athletic recruits.

“I made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process. In doing so, I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass,” Loughlin said during her sentencing.

Loughlin, 56, was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine, serve 100 hours of community service, and be under supervised release for two years. Giannulli, 57, was sentenced to five months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, serve 250 hours of community service and serve two years of supervised release.

The low-security facility in Dublin, which is located about 40 miles east of San Francisco, houses approximately 874 female inmates. All visitations of the federal prison have been suspended over the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged correctional facilities across the country.