Last week, Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli agreed to plead guilty in the ongoing legal proceedings for the college admissions scandal. Both Loughlin and Gianulli were charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud. They faced up to 50 years in prison if found guilty during their trial.

After coming to the conclusion that going to trial would be "reckless" at this point, Loughlin and Giannulli agreed to a plea deal that would require they spend just a few short months behind bars. The terms of the plea deal, which is still pending the judge's approval, would have Loughlin serving a two month sentence, paying a $150,000 fine and completing 100 hours of community service. Giannulli, however, would serve five months in prison, pay a $250,000 fine and complete 250 hours of community service.

Legal expert James J. Leonard Jr.—who is not affiliated with the case in any way—spoke to People about Loughlin and Gianulli's sentencing. He believes there's a chance they will serve their time under house arrest due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Federal inmates typically serve 85 percent of their sentence before they are released,” Leonard explained. “Given that the Department of Justice is currently releasing many non-violent inmates serving federal sentences due to COVID-19, any period of incarceration seems unnecessary in this case.”

“In March, the Attorney General directed the Bureau of Prisons to consider releasing certain non-violent inmates to home confinement because of the threat that COVID-19 posed to prisoners who were vulnerable to the virus based on their health,” Leonard continued.“To then incarcerate two non-violent criminal defendants with zero criminal history is contrary to that directive and is quite frankly not logical," he explains. "I don’t think anyone should be surprised if the court sentences them both to a period of home confinement with certain restrictions.”

Loughlin and Giannulli’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 21, so, nothing is set in stone until then.

Photo: Getty

Jeff Cecil

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