“Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband and nine other parents faced new federal charges Tuesday in a scandal involving dozens of wealthy parents accused of bribing their children’s way into elite universities.
A grand jury in Boston indicted the parents on charges of trying to bribe officials at an organization that receives at least $10,000 in federal funding. In this case, they’re accused of paying to get their children admitted to the University of Southern California.
Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to have their daughters, Olivia Jade and Bella Rose, falsely designated as crew rowers.
People reports that sources close to the couple are saying that the new developments are stressing out the couple and they feel as though the situation is becoming impossible.
“They feel like this is David versus Goliath. How do you go up against the federal government, when the government has decided to make an example out of you?” the source told People. “How can you possibly move forward from this? This stress is about to break them.”
Before the additional charges announced on Tuesday, Loughlin and Giannulli were already facing 40 years each behind bars.
The new charges carry a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.
Also on Tuesday, USC confirmed that Olivia and Bella were no longer enrolled at the university.