Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges related to a college admissions bribery scandal, The Associated Press reported.
The former “Full House” star and Hallmark Channel star, along with her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, entered their plea at a federal court in Boston, according to the AP. The couple also waived their right to appear in court for an arraignment.
{mosads}Loughlin, 54, and Giannulli, 55, were among 16 parents charged with conspiring to commit mail fraud and money laundering. More than 40 people overall were charged in what the Justice Department called the “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.”
Loughlin and her husband are accused of paying $500,000 to ensure their two daughters were accepted to the University of Southern California as members of the school’s crew team, even though neither one is a rower.
Former “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman, who was also ensnared in the probe, said last week she intended to plead guilty to related charges.
Huffman paid $15,000 as part of an SAT cheating scheme in which a proctor would correct her older daughter’s answers after she took the exam, according to charging documents.
“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said in a statement.