Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli face an additional federal charge in the college admissions scandal.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Loughlin, Giannulli and nine other defendants “conspired to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission.” They have been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
Federal programs bribery is defined as theft or bribery of an organization that receives more than 10,000 in federal funds. According to the U.S. Penal Code, the charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Prior to the new charges, Loughlin and Giannulli each already faced charges of money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud. They previously faced up to 40 years in prison.