Is There Prison Time in the Future for Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman in the College Admissions Scandal?

Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman appeared in court in Boston on Wednesday afternoon to face the judge on the allegations that they each paid bribes to get their daughters into college. They’re among the 33 parents charged for their alleged involvement in the scheme. Neither of the women entered a plea at this appearance, but because of the large amount of attention being focused on the case, it is looking as if there will be some prison time involved, and their star status will not get them lenient treatment, Deadline reports.

The charges that Huffman and Loughlin face, which include conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud, carry a potential maximum sentence of five years.

Loughlin was accompanied by her designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, who is also under indictment. Huffman’s husband, William H. Macy, was not in attendance.

Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 disguised as a tax-deductible charitable donation so her daughter’s incorrect answers on her SAT test would be corrected after she handed it in, while Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the court documents.
Huffman is out on $250,000 bail; Loughlin on $1 million. They were also required to turn over their passports and agreed not to possess firearms.

The hearing took place in front of Judge M. Page Kelley at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston.