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Loughlin, 56, choked up as she apologized to
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston for the "awful
decision" she made to help her daughters gain an "unfair
advantage" in the college admissions process and get into their
preferred school.
She and her husband were sentenced after they pleaded guilty in
May to engaging in a fraud scheme aimed at securing spots for
their daughters at the University of Southern California as fake
athletic recruits.
They did so through what Gorton called a "blatant" scheme that
involved wealthy parents, including the couple, conspiring with
a California college admissions consultant to use bribery and
fraud to secure their children's admissions to top schools.
Loughlin, in her first public remarks about the case since her
March 2019 arrest, said she had acted out of love for her
daughters.
The actress, who became the public face of the scandal, said she
understood her actions "helped exacerbate existing inequalities
in society generally and the higher education system for
specifically."
"I am truly, profoundly and deeply sorry, and I need to face the
consequences and make amends," she said during a hearing held
via videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gorton also ordered Loughlin and Giannulli to pay respective
fines of $150,000 and $250,000 and complete 100 and 250 hours of
community service. He said he was "dumbfounded" by how Loughlin
could aid the corruption of the higher education system.
"We can only hope that you will spend the rest of your charmed
life, as you've said you will, making amends for the system that
you have harmed," he said.
Loughlin and Giannulli are among 56 people charged in a scheme
masterminded by consultant William "Rick" Singer, who has
admitted to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and
using bribery to secure the admission of children to schools
under the guise of being sought-after athletes.
The parents include actress Felicity Huffman, who received a
14-day prison sentence for paying to rig her daughter's college
entrance exam. An insurance and private equity executive, Mark
Hauser, on Friday became the latest parent to cut a plea deal.
Prosecutors said Loughlin and Giannulli conspired with Singer to
fabricate parts of their daughters' applications for admission
to USC so they could be admitted as fake rowing team recruits.
Prosecutors said Giannulli, the "more active" parent in the
scheme, also paid $500,000 in purported "donations" as a quid
pro quo to induce a USC employee to facilitate the recruitment
of daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli.
Defense lawyer B.J. Trach said the case had "devastating"
effects on Loughlin's career, leading to her losing multi-year
acting contracts. "She has become intertwined with the college
admissions scandal," he said.
The couple is due to report to prison on Nov. 19.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Rosalba
O'Brien and Tom Brown)
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