While Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli are each free on a $1-million bond as they face conspiracy charges for allegedly paying a $500,000 bribe in order to ensure their daughters would be accepted to the University of Southern California, it appears that Olivia Jade (who chooses not to use her last name) and sister Bella Giannulli are still enrolled.
USC has confirmed to NBC News that despite a TMZ report that the sisters had “formally dropped out and withdrawn” from the school, Olivia Jade, 19, and Bella, 20, are still enrolled in USC.
“We have confirmed that both Olivia Giannulli and Isabella Giannulli still are enrolled,” USC media relations specialist Ron Mackovich told NBC News in a statement.
“USC is conducting a case-by-case review for current students and graduates that may be connected to the scheme alleged by the government and will make informed decisions as those reviews are completed,” the statement concluded.
According to the indictment, Loughlin and Giannulli are being accused of paying “bribes totalling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.”
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Also among the dozens of people arrested in the alleged fraud scheme is former “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, free on a $250,000 bond while facing charges that she “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” with that money actually paid to an individual who “controlled” an SAT testing centre and corrected incorrect exam answers in her daughter’s test in order to boost her score significantly.
Loughlin, Giannulli and Huffman were all originally scheduled to appear in court in Boston on March 29, but that court date has been pushed back to April 3.
