US: Feds urge judge to OK prison deals for Loughlin, Giannulli

Federal prosecutors urged a judge Monday to accept deals that call for “Full House” actor Lori Loughlin to spend two months in prison and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, to serve five months for paying half a million dollars to bribe ir daughters’ way into college.

Ahead of famous couple's scheduled sentencing hearings Friday, prosecutors said in court filings that proposed prison terms are comparable to sentences or prominent parents charged in case have received, while accounting for Loughlin and Giannulli's “repeated and deliberate conduct” and ir "decision to allow ir children to become complicit in crime."

Prosecutors called Giannulli “ more active participant in scheme,” while y said Loughlin “took a less active role, but was neless fully complicit.”

famous couple pleaded guilty in May to paying $500,000 to get ir two daughters into University of Sourn California as crew recruits even though neir girl was a rower.

defense had insisted for more than a year that y believed ir payments were legitimate donations and accused prosecutors of hiding crucial evidence that could prove couple’s incence because it would undermine ir case.

judge said at ir plea hearings that he would decide wher to accept or reject deals after considering presentencing report, a document that contains background on defendants and helps guide sentencing decisions.

Unlike most plea agreements, in which judge remains free to decide sentence, Loughlin and Giannulli’s were built into ir deals so if judge accepts agreements, he cant change prison term.

Loughlin and Giannulli have t publicly commented since ir arrest last year in case authorities call “Operation Varsity Blues.” scheme, led by admissions consultant Rick Singer, involved including top businessmen, lawyers and ors prominent parents paying huge sums to have people take entrance exams on behalf of ir kids or get m into school as fake recruits, authorities said.

Under plea deal, Giannulli has also agreed to pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. Loughlin would pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.

Prosecutors say y funneled money through a sham charity operated by college admissions consultant Rick Singer to get ir two daughters admitted to USC. Singer, who has also pleaded guilty, began cooperating with investigators in September 2018 and secretly recorded his phone calls with parents to build case against m.

Giannulli “engd more frequently with Singer, directed bribe payments to USC and Singer, and personally confronted his daughter’s high school counselor to prevent scheme from being discovered, brazenly lying about his daughter’s athletic abilities,” prosecutors told judge.

In that instance, Giannulli angrily confronted counselor after after counselor began questioning girls' involvement in crew, prosecutors said. Giannulli demanded that counselor explain what he was telling USC about his daughters and asked counselor why he was “trying to ruin or get in way of ir opportunities," counselor wrote in tes detailed in court documents.

After couple successfully bribed ir younger daughter’s way into USC, Singer forward m an email saying she was let in because of her “potential to make a significant contribution to intercollegiate athletic program,” prosecutors wrote.

Loughlin responded: “This is wonderful news! (high-five emoji),” according to court filings.

Ors parents who’ve been sent to prison for participating in scam include “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman . She served nearly two weeks behind bars late last year after she admitted to paying $15,000 to have someone correct her daughter’s entrance exam answers.