Mossimo Giannulli has officially begun his prison sentence.
The fashion designer is in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Lompoc, Calif., a spokesperson from the Bureau of Prisons Office of Public Affairs tells E! News. This is where he will remain for the next five months, more than twice as long as the sentence his wife Lori Loughlin is currently serving. In August, Giannulli, 57, was handed down five months, as well as two years of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a $250,000 fine as a result of his role in the college admissions scandal. Loughlin, 56, was sentenced to two months in prison, along with two years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service and a $150,000 fine.
As part of a plea agreement three months earlier, Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. They both initially pleaded not guilty in 2019. On Oct. 30, the former Fuller House actress reported to FCI-Dublin, a federal prison in Calif.
"Lori was upset, but is putting on a brave face for the family," a source told E! News in October. "She's trying to be strong. She's ready to get in and out and close the door on this chapter."
A second source echoed, "She was very nervous, but she wanted to go first and get it over with. It's been hanging over her head for so long. She is hopeful that she can be home for the holidays and put this behind her."
While Loughlin is currently slated for release on Sunday, Dec. 27, federal prison policy could have her heading home in time for Christmas. According to documents obtained by E! News, "The Bureau of Prisons may release an inmate whose release date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, on the last preceding weekday unless it is necessary to detain the inmate for another jurisdiction seeking custody under a detainer, or for any other reason which might indicate that the inmate should not be released until the inmate's scheduled release date." As a result, the star could return home on Thursday, Dec. 24, as it is the last preceding weekday before the holiday and weekend.
As for Mossimo, reporting to prison marks one of the remaining steps for the duo in this controversy, nearly two years after the case made headlines in March 2019. At the time, it was alleged in an FBI affidavit that the "Giannullis agreed to a [sic] pay bribes totaling $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." The couple are parents to daughters Olivia Jade Giannulli, a 21-year-old YouTuber, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, a 22-year-old actress.
"I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass," Loughlin told the judge during her sentencing hearing. "I thought I was acting out of love for my children but in reality it only underlined and diminished my daughters' abilities and accomplishments. More broadly and more importantly, I now understand that my decision helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society generally and the higher education system more specifically."
She continued, "That realization weighs heavily on me and while I wish I could go back and do things differently, I can only take responsibility and move forward. I have great faith in God and I believe in redemption and I will do everything in my power to redeem myself and use this experience as a catalyst to do good and give back for the rest of my life."
"Your honor," Loughlin said, "I am truly profoundly and deeply sorry. I am ready to face the consequences and make amends."
Giannulli also addressed his behavior during the hearing. "I deeply regret the harm that my actions have caused my daughters, my wife and others," Giannulli told the judge, according to the Associated Press (via NPR). "I take full responsibility for my conduct. I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward with the lessons I've learned from this experience."