Lori Loughlin Facing New Charges – Source Says She’s ‘Close To Breaking Point’

Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were just hit with new charges related to the bribe they allegedly paid in the college admissions scandal. The new charges add to the potential length of any prison sentence. After news of the new charges, a source close to the couple said that they are having an increasingly difficult time dealing with their current situation, and that the couple is close to “breaking.”

Lori Loughlin And Husband Giannulli Hit With New Charges

Daily Mail reported that U.S. District Attorney of Massachusetts announced Tuesday that a grand jury returned additional charges against 11 of the 15 parents who have been charged in the college admissions scandal.

Two of the parents to face additional charges were Lori Loughlin and Giannulli. The parents of Olivia Jade Giannulli, 20, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 21, already faced as much as forty years in prison for their original charges.

Prosecutors on potential new crimes committed by Lori Loughlin: “They’re everywhere you look.” pic.twitter.com/rDKmY1RE3J

— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) October 23, 2019

“They feel like this is David versus Goliath. How do you go up against the federal government, when the government has decided to make an example out of you? How can you possibly move forward from this?” a source close to Loughlin told People.

“This stress is about to break them.”

RELATED: Lori Loughlin Struggling, Can’t Deal With Pressure Of Looming College Admissions Scandal

Lori Loughlin’s New Charges Carry Hefty Penalty

Loughlin and Giannulli’s new charges allege they conspired to commit federal program bribery by paying employees of the University of Southern California to facilitate their children’s admission.

NBC News: Federal prosecutors have hit Lori Loughlin, Massimo Gianulli, and 9 other parents with a superseding indictment.

The indictment adds the charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery by allegedly sending bribes to employees of USC.

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 22, 2019

This Federal conspiracy charge alone carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

“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 U.S. District Attorney’s office said in a statement.

They added that the new charge has only been filed against the parents who have pleaded not guilty to charges related to this scandal, like Loughlin and Giannulli.

This indicates that parents like Felicity Huffman, who took responsibility and plead guilty, will not be hit with the additional charge.

Loughlin At Breaking Point

Another source close to Loughlin indicated that she is starting to buckle under the pressure.

RELATED: Lori Loughlin Desperate To Know What Prison Is Like, Reaches Out To Felicity Huffman

“It just gets worse and worse for her,” the source said. “And you have to remember: nothing new has happened. They could have charged her with all of this last spring. But they waited. She feels like she is a scapegoat.”

“The entire family is in chaos right now,” the insider added. “They knew this was a possibility, but they all thought that perhaps it was just a bargaining tool from the prosecution but now that the charges are official, they are realizing that there is no way to avoid a moderately long prison sentence, unless they are found not guilty in a trial.”

Loughlin And Giannulli Now Face Up To 45 Years In Prison

Loughlin and Giannulli have been accused of paying $500,000 in bribe money. The bribe got their daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team. Despite the fact neither Olivia Jade or Isabella Rose had ever ever rowed crew before.

Instead of pleading guilty like Huffman did, the couple decided to fight all charges. But sources indicate the couple regrets that decision now.

Given they each face a staggering 45 years in prison while Huffman is sure to be a free woman after serving just 14 days.

From the very beginning of this case, Loughlin and Giannulli have appeared to be blinded by reality. Deluded into believing they won’t serve any prison time whatsoever.

Now, they seem to be realizing that pleading not guilty may have been the biggest mistake of their lives. And that mistake may just result in them spending decades behind bars.