The Full House star, Lori Loughlin was denied her defense’s motion to dismiss charges against her and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, the fashion designer, in the ongoing college admission-bribery scandal. In October, Loughlin and her spouse will go to trial for their roles in paying bribes for their children to be admitted to top colleges. Her defense argued that key evidence was withheld and notes made by William “Rick” Singer were not turned over in a timely manner. The courts determined that the actress and her husband will not have their cases dismissed because they believed that the government did not lie and mislead.
According to prosecutors, Loughlin and Giannulli paid in excess of $500,000 to obtain entrance into the University of Southern California for their two daughters. The couple counters by saying they did not think they were bribing but were instead making a legitimate donation.
According to the government, they did not tell William Rick Singer to lie. Instead, they instructed him to describe the scheme he orchestrated so that parents who participated very well knew that they were paying bribes, not donations. The belief is that agents were implicit on coaching witnesses like Singer to draw out incriminating information from others during an investigation which is a practice that is allowed. Singer, the orchestrator of the college bribery scandal has been willing to work with authorities for over a year.
What is “Operation Varsity Blues”?
In 2019, Operation Varsity Blues, as it was nicknamed, was a scandal that rocked the admission decisions of many of the most prestigious American colleges. Parents were paying William Rick Singer millions of dollars to ensure their children would be admitted into specific universities. Singer used a portion of the money to falsify entrance exam scores as well as to bribe college administrators, and the rest to line his pockets. For Singer’s part, he faces 65 years in prison and will have to pay $1.25 million in fines.
This college bribery scandal became the most massive of its kind in U.S. history to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Some of the parents involved in the scandal were well-known business people and celebrities. Those named in the scandal may spend up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for their part in the crime.
Have You Been Charged With a White-Collar Crime in San Diego?
If you have been charged with a white-collar crime, obtaining legal representation is critical to the outcome of your case. David M. Boertje is a San Diego white-collar crime defense attorney who will work with you and the courts to resolve your case as quickly and efficiently as possible. Many of the clients we supported and represented for such crimes were genuinely good people who simply had a lapse in judgment.
The Carlsbad criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices Of David M. Boertje is here to help you with your case. Call us today to schedule a free consultation at (619) 229-1870 for our San Diego office or (760) 476-0901 for our Carlsbad location.