A legal expert has just spoken out to say that he believes the 55-year-old actress Lori Loughlin will spend between two and three years behind bars for her role in the college admissions scandal.
Judge Has Been Harsh On Defendants
Court documents released this week shows that the judge in this case has been particularly harsh on the defendants. In fact, he’s gone so far as to tell one of the defendants that he must “pay a substantial and conspicuous price for such unconscionable conduct.”
This defendant was 56-year-old real estate executive Toby MacFarlane. He was sentenced to six months in prison after he plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. His case is known to be very similar to that of Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli. He also lied about his children’s athletic backgrounds to get them into the University of Southern California. In addition, he paid $450,000 in bribe money to have them admitted to the school.
Here’s the news report:
Meanwhile, Loughlin and Giannulli also allegedly lied about their daughters’ athletic backgrounds to get them into USC. And, they are accused of paying $500,000 in bribe money to have them admitted. Unlike MacFarlane, however, the couple pled not guilty to all charges, and “Good Morning America” legal analyst Dan Abrams said this will likely come back to haunt them.
“These cases are very similar,” Abrams said. “It’s almost the same amount of money. It’s two kids. It’s faking the profiles, etc.”
RELATED: Lori Loughlin Outlook Grim After Latest Sentencing Sends Shockwaves In College Admissions Scandal
Different Pleas, Similar Crimes
Abrams added, “Now this was a guilty plea. This was someone who’s accepted responsibility for it, and is still getting six months. So you’ve got to believe if [Loughlin] were to take it to trial, with the additional charge that’s been thrown on her, if she was convicted, she’d be looking at a few years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got 2 to 3 years if she’s convicted.”
The additional charge he’s referring to is that she and her husband conspired to commit federal program bribery by paying employees of the USC to facilitate their children’s admission.
“There’s a similarity to the cases,” the source said. “And they’re smart enough to see that. So they’re very concerned. If this guy pleaded guilty and was still given six months, what does that mean for them? If they’re convicted, their sentences are going to be very severe. Also, they face more charges than Mr. McFarlane did. They’re very discouraged.”
RELATED: Lori Loughlin’s Daughters May Soon Be Charged, Former Federal Prosecutor Warns
Loughlin and Giannulli Face 45 Years In Prison
Loughlin and her husband are each facing 45 years in prison, though it is believed to be unlikely that they will be given a sentence that is that harsh. However, it has become increasingly clear that the likelihood of Loughlin and Giannulli dodging prison altogether is extremely low.
Perhaps now they will see reason and cut their losses by entering a guilty plea. This circus has gone on long enough, and it’s time for the two of them to put an end to it by finally taking responsibility for their actions.
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