Lori Loughlin is continuing to feel the heat in the college admissions scandal. As her next court appearance on January 17 looms closer, sources close to the former Full House star say that she's grappling with the fact that she may have to do jail time. It's a far cry from the lifestyle she and husband Mossimo Giannulli are accustomed to, so much so that she's decided to get some help.
As Lori prepares for all the possibilities ahead of her, People reports that she's hired a "prison expert" to advise her on what her life will be like if she does have to serve a sentence. The source has made it clear that this doesn't indicate that Lori thinks she'll lose her case. But it appears that she's concerned, even frightened, at the idea of going to prison. Lori and Mossimo each face up to 45 years in prison for their alleged roles in the admissions scandal.
Over the past few months, we've learned that Lori Loughlin's anxiety surrounding the college admissions scandal is growing with time. Lori and husband Mossimo Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 to admissions consultant Rick Singer to help get their two daughters, Olivia and Isabella, into the University of Southern California.
The girls allegedly were presented as recruits for the crew team, although neither ever participated in the sport. Their parents are officially charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and honest services mail and wire fraud. In October, Lori and Mossimo were each given the additional federal charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
Lori and Mossimo have pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them. They also filed a motion last month that alleges they didn’t know their donations would be used as bribes. They say that Rick Singer deceived them in that respect.
Lori and Mossimo have been keeping a close eye on the other cases involved in the scandal. They've realized that those who have pleaded guilty have all served some time, including actress Felicity Huffman. They're hoping that with a more aggressive defense, they'll be spared that.
Still, they're preparing for the worst and doing so in a very interesting way. Lori has reportedly hired a "prison expert." A source close to her tells People she wants to know what to expect and be prepared in the event she does have to do jail time.
"She has someone who is advising her what to do in case she loses her case and goes to prison," the source said. "The advisor is there to help her learn the ropes. That’s not to be construed that she thinks she’s going to lose her case. Lori is a planner, and she is doing what she needs to do for all contingencies."
Lori and Mossimo are facing up to 45 years if convicted. "They realize that if they are convicted, they’ll have to serve time," explained the source. "And they’re figuring out what that would look like, which includes hiring a consultant to explain prison life to them."
The source says that Lori is concerned about being safe and smart if she does go to prison. "The whole point is to have someone tell her how to keep herself safe," they noted. "She needs to keep a low profile if she’s incarcerated."
"Obviously, she’s going to stand out, because of all the publicity and because she’s a star," they continued. "She can’t do anything about that. But she doesn’t want to stand out because she’s so green that she does the wrong things."
The source also says that Lori is trying to learn and grow from everything that she's been through. "She wants to understand what the experience will be like, and how to not only survive it, but flourish in it," the source notes. "She is looking at this whole thing as a learning experience, and this is one more thing that she’s trying to learn."
The source wouldn't delve into any of the specifics of what Lori's learning. Since it's such a different environment from what she's used to, the key is to avoid making common mistakes that impact first-time inmates. It isn't easy, but it's important for her to know.
"Table manners are different; social interactions are different," the source explains. "Here on the outside, eye contact is a good thing. You meet someone and you shake their hands and stare them in the eyes."
"In prison, you might not do that. You don’t want to challenge someone," they explained. "Prison is a very different world than Hollywood, and Lori is just trying to be prepared. She’s preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best."
The next step in their legal process is their court date on January 17. While it's likely that, if convicted, they'll get a lighter sentence than the maximum, it's hard to say what's next for the couple. No matter what's ahead, Lori hopes to be prepared.
