Last week, we reported that Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli had finally agreed to plead guilty to charges related to their role in the college admissions scandal. Now, an expert is weighing in on what the couple should do going forward to save themselves from backlash from the public.

On Friday, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and to honest services wire and mail fraud.

“If the court accepts the deal, I fully expect they will serve jail time,” Michael Zweiback, founding partner of Zweiback Fiset & Coleman, told Fox News.

Under the terms of the deal, Loughlin would serve two months in prison, and Giannulli would serve five months. Zweiback said that it is crucial for the couple to actually serve their time in prison if they want to save their public reputations.

Lara Yeretsan, a California attorney, added that “being rich and famous actually worked to their disadvantage.”

“They became the poster child for the prosecution’s case, so their celebrity backfired on them,” she explained. “The only difference between their sentence and that of other parents is that they know what they’re getting because it’s agreed upon, but it’s no less than what other parents have gotten.”

San Diego criminal defense attorney David P. Shapiro explained that taking the plea deal was the right call for the couple because it would be hard for them to look sympathetic to a jury.

“Loughlin and her husband, initially adamant about their innocence, appear to have made the sound decision to resolve their case for sentences considerably less than what they would have most certainly received if they were convicted at trial,” he said.

Shapiro went on to add that the pandemic probably played a role in their decision as well.

“The logistics of putting on a jury trial in the midst of social distancing and the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly played a role in the government’s decision to make this ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ offer to Loughlin and her husband, no matter how much they may deny it,” he said.

Loughlin and Giannulli were accused of paying $500,000 in bribe money to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team, even though neither girl had ever rowed before. They spent over a year claiming that they were innocent and fighting the charges against them before they finally threw in the towel last week.

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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