|
|
Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli did not have to go to court yesterday. Their lawyers entered pleas on their behalf, which I guess was easy enough to do because Lori and Mossimo pleaded ?not guilty? to every charge they?re now facing, including mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. TMZ now says that if they were found guilty, they would spend a minimum of 4 years, 9 months in prison, but all of the reporting last week was about how they could spend 10-20 years in prison. The point is that a substantial amount of time in prison is definitely part of anything on the table. TMZ also says that a plea bargain is miraculously still on the table too, but I guess Lori and Mossimo just refuse to take anything with a prison sentence. People Magazine has more on that part:
Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband pleaded not guilty Monday to two charges against them in the college admissions cheating scandal ? and a legal source close to the couple tells PEOPLE that having rejected an offer for a deal from prosecutors, their plea was ?the only choice they?ve got.?
?She probably should have taken the deal, but at the time, she didn?t really realize how serious the charges were,? the source tells PEOPLE.
?More than that, I think she and her lawyers underestimated how motivated the prosecution was. So she didn?t plead, and then they hit her with another charge. Now she?s willing to negotiate, but the prosecution says that the deal is off the table. So the only choice they?ve got is to plead not guilty. That?s all they can do.?
The source confirms to PEOPLE that Loughlin and husband J. Mossimo Giannulli pleaded not guilty to both charges they face: mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
[From People]
Huh. TMZ?s article was rather insistent that the federal prosecutors still have a deal on the table, but it?s also clear that Lori and her camp have been leaking sh-t to People for weeks. So Lori?s version is that they were only offered one deal two weeks ago, and they refused to take the plea and now they?re facing 20 years. My guess is that if Lori and Mossimo had better lawyers, those lawyers would be speaking regularly to the prosecution and trying to work out something. But as of right now, Lori just wants people to think that these federal prosecutors are bullying a poor, affluent, faith-based white lady who is JUST LIKE US. Bish, please.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
|
|
