One of the stars at the center of the college admissions scandal has plead guilty, and it's going to land her in prison.
Felicity Huffman, along with 14 other defendants, opted to plead guilty just five days after appearing in U.S. District Court in Boston. While in court, they were read the felony charges they face, which include conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
Huffman released a statement about her involvement in the case, and wanted to make something very clear: it was her own doing that got the family into this mess, and had nothing to do with her daughter.
I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office. I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.
My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.
Huffman's plea deal will come with jail time, though it will likely be very minimal. In theory, these charges could mean she'd face up to 20 years in prison, but the feds are saying it should be anywhere between four and 10 months. Huffman's lawyers are trying for anything between zero and 10 months. This will all be sorted out in sentencing, along with her probation time.
As for Lori Laughlin, the other celeb caught in this massive scandal, she hasn't entered any type of pleas as of yet. If her last court appearance was any indication, it doesn't appear as though the Fuller House star is too concerned. Loughlin was laughing and smiling on her way into the courtroom, and even stopped to sign some autographs before she went in.
Personally, I think Huffman and Loughlin should face the same penalties that anyone who isn't famous would face. Just because you have a recognizable name doesn't mean you should be able to get away with stuff like this!