How grim is it for actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli? Was the Full House star justified in reportedly wondering if it was a good idea to reject a plea deal? A consultant representing three other parents in the “Operation Varsity Blues” scandal minced no words.
“Lori Loughlin is living in a dream world,” said Larry Levine, of Wall Street Prison Consultants, told The Mercury News. “She doesn’t have a grasp on the reality about how these federal prosecutions work.”
Levine, an ex-con who made a business out of coaching clients on how to navigate prison life, reportedly represents three people out of Southern California. Two pleaded guilty, while a third is still working out a deal with prosecutors — which may involve ongoing cooperation. He said Loughlin had a “grand opportunity” to accept a plea deal. He also argued that her apparent unwillingness will play a role at sentencing.
Levine said that federal prosecutors don’t file charges or seek indictments until these authorities believe there’s enough evidence to win at trial. He argued that Loughlin “screwed” herself thinking she and her husband could convince a judge and jury they were just parents trying to do right by their kids.
The couple’s case is pending. They are charged as part of a wide-range ranging criminal case involving dozens of parents who allegedly used illegal means to buy their children’s admission to college. In Loughlin and Giannulli’s case, they allegedly paid bribes of $500,000 to get their daughters Isabella and Olivia Jade Giannuli treated as recruits of the University of Southern California crew team. The teens never participated in crew.
[Image via JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP/Getty Images]
