Legal experts said in the immediate aftermath of Felicity Huffman’s sentencing that Full House actress Lori Loughlin should be “freaked out” and “frightened” by the development. Yet another unnamed source claims that this is exactly how she’s felt of late.
The key quotes from the ET source claiming knowledge of Loughlin’s thinking:
“Lori has kept a close eye on Felicity throughout the case and after hearing her 14-day sentence, she’s been incredibly panicked. She can’t help thinking, if Felicity received real prison time, what could that mean for her?”
“Lori didn’t believe Felicity should have pleaded guilty but now watching her situation play out, she’s been in fear of what’s to come for her. Right now, her friends fear the prosecution wants to make an example out of her, not only for the crime she’s been accused of, but her not guilty plea.”
“Lori has confided in friends that she has nightmares about what’s to come and has been living with constant anxiety. Lori chose a very different path than Felicity and felt taking a deal was a mistake. She doesn’t believe she deserves jail time.”
In summary, this individual claims Loughlin has been “incredibly panicked” and is living in “fear of what’s to come”; while her friends are afraid that federal prosecutors will try and make an example of her for rejecting a plea deal, Loughlin has had “nightmares” and experienced “constant anxiety.”
In case you missed it last Friday, Desperate Housewives actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days behind bars, a $30,000 fine, a year of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
Experts who reacted to this sentence said that it was not good news for Loughlin because Huffman accepted responsibility, pleaded guilty early and offered a public apology, but still ended up with time behind bars.
National security lawyer Bradley P. Moss told Law&Crime at the time that Huffman “arguably did everything possible from the outset to accept responsibility for her actions, agreeing to a plea deal, expressing remorse and admitting she had made mistakes.”
“Lori Loughlin, on the other hand, stood defiant and was rewarded with a superseding indictment with additional charges,” he said. “If even Huffman is still going to face some jail time (miniscule at it is), Loughlin has to be increasingly worried she could face years in jail if she is convicted at trial.”
Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, co-defendants in the college admissions scandal known as “Operation Varsity Blues,” have been accused of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest services mail fraud and money laundering for allegedly “agree[ing] to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters,” Isabella Giannulli and Olivia Jade Giannulli, “designated as recruits to the [University of Southern California (USC)] crew team–despite the fact that they did not participate in crew.”
Olivia Jade made headlines recently when she flipped off the media for citing anonymous sources, as ET did on Monday.
Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 2.
[Image via Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images]
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