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Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, appearing in federal court Wednesday, could cut plea deals for their alleged roles in the nationwide college admissions scam, but that doesn’t mean they would automatically save themselves from prison sentences.
Federal law enforcement sources told TMZ that any cooperation deal could still come with a recommendation by prosecutors that the wealthy and glamorous Hollywood actresses serve some time.
“You can’t have people being treated differently because they have money,” one official told TMZ. “That’s how we got to this place. Every defendant will be treated the same.”
It’s not clear how much time the women would face, whether or not they cooperate.
Initial reports said some charges against parents implicated in the case come with penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Thirty-three wealthy, high-powered mothers and fathers, including some from the Bay Area, are accused of paying William “Rick” Singer, the owner of a for-profit college admissions company, to bribe their children’s way into prestigious U.S. colleges.
MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos said Wednesday that sentences in cases like this for first-time offenders usually come with prison sentences in the “10s to 20s of months,” not years. He also said a probation-only sentence was possible for some parents who cooperate.
Felicity Huffman, 56, was seen entering the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse at about 11 a.m. Wednesday. She later emerged from the courthouse after appearing before the judge to say she understood the seriousness of the charges against her and to surrender her passport, TMZ and MSNBC reported. She did not enter a plea.
WATCH: Actress Felicity Huffman arrives at federal court in Boston Wednesday as she faces charges for alleged participation in far-reaching college admissions bribery scheme; actress Lori Loughlin and other parents charged are also scheduled to appear https://t.co/xXWsojsrke pic.twitter.com/ggqktAxQPT
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 3, 2019
Huffman is charged with paying Singer $15,000 to arrange for someone to proctor her older daughter’s SAT test in December 2017 and to correct it. The daughter, now 18, received a score of 1,420 on the test, a 400-point improvement from her first test.
The “Desperate Housewives” actress was not accompanied by her husband, actor William H. Macy, when she arrived at the courthouse. Macy has not been charged in the case. However, he was present when Huffman appeared in federal court in Los Angeles last month to post a $250,000 bond for her release.
Loughlin, meanwhile, faced a mix of supporters and detractors when she walked briskly into the courthouse Wednesday afternoon, wearing a nervous smile, according to video from ABC News. One person shouted at the actress: “Pay my tuition.”
Lori Loughlin arrives to a mix of fans and detractors. Some yelling, “Lori, pay my tuition!” https://t.co/RFBYhF1VSN pic.twitter.com/RTlUyhlnl8
— Melanie Woodrow (@MelanieWoodrow) April 3, 2019
During her brief appearance before a judge, the former “Fuller House” actress said hello to the prosecuting team and shook their hands, TMZ reported. Like Huffman, Loughlin, 54, said she understood the seriousness of the charges against her and agreed to surrender her passport. She also did not enter a plea.
Laughlin’s fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 55, also is charged in the case and appeared before the judge, TMZ reported.
The couple are accused of paying $500,000 to Singer to create false athletic profiles so that their daughters, Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella, 20, would be admitted to the University of Southern California as crew athletes.
Neither Olivia, an aspiring social media influencer, nor Isabella Giannulli, an aspiring actress, were rowers at their elite Los Angeles prep school. Both young women have been described by sources close to their family as “average” students who were pushed to go to USC by their competitive parents.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Huffman, Loughlin and other parents are under pressure to decide whether their high-priced attorneys will help them aggressively fight the charges, or help them negotiate deals that likely will involve cooperating with the investigation. The Times said the parents could face more charges or stiffer penalties, including prison time, if they refuse to cooperate.
MSNBC, following up on a report by the Times, also reported Wednesday that more arrests are expected and other parents have been informed that they are the subjects of the federal inquiry.
A deadline for a grand jury to hand down additional charges is April 11, with legal experts telling the Times that the grand jury proceedings are pushing parents to quickly decide whether to fight or fold.
This story is developing.
