Lori Loughlin and several other accused parents plead not guilty in a college admissions case

Actress Lori Loughlin, her husband and several other relatives plead not guilty to the charges against them in the college admissions scandal, according to court documents, which highlights the defendants' differing legal strategies in this case.

Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, live in Los Angeles and are accused of plotting fraud and money-laundering conspiracy as part of an alleged bribery scam that prosecutors said was intended to have their two girls at the University of Southern California. Loughlin became known for her role as Aunt Becky in the TV series "Full House".

She and Giannulli waived their right to appear in federal court in Boston to be brought to justice as they filed pleas of not guilty on Monday through signed statements. Prosecutors allege that the couple paid $ 500,000 to facilitate the admission of their daughters to the USC as so-called crew recruits.

A couple's lawyer declined to comment on Monday.

[A Trojan horse: USC was the most frequent target in alleged admissions scheme]

They are among the 33 parents who, according to prosecutors, pay bribes to help their children enroll in prestigious universities, as part of a program orchestrated by the consulting firm. Admission "Rick" Singer. Prosecutors allege that some have paid for fraudulent scores on ACT or SAT tests, while others have paid for their children to be named as recruited athletes, even if they did not have them. qualifications required to compete at intercollegiate level.

Singer pled guilty to conspiring racketeering and other crimes and cooperated in this case.

Among the accused parents who were his clients, 13 last week agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and honest service fraud, prosecutors said. These defendants, including actress Felicity Huffman of Los Angeles, are scheduled to appear next month to attend a plea hearing before the US District Court in Boston. We do not know what penalty they will suffer. The charge of conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and heavy fines. (One of the 13 also agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy money laundering.)

Others argue over the allegations in a case that may depend on whether payments from parents are considered bribes or simply contributions to academic sports programs and to a Singer-controlled charity .

Court documents indicate that at least eight other people, besides Loughlin and Giannulli, have filed pleas of not guilty in recent days: Gamal Abdelaziz of Las Vegas; I-Hsin "Joey" Chen of Newport Beach, California; Amy Colburn and Gregory Colburn, of Palo Alto, California; Michelle Janavs of Newport Coast, California; Elisabeth Kimmel from Las Vegas; David Sidoo, of Vancouver; and Robert Zangrillo from Miami.

In all, 50 people were charged. The charges, made public last month, raised questions about the fairness of admissions to leading colleges and universities.

The undergraduate admission rate to the USC is now about 11%, according to the university, and it has declined in recent years due to the growth in the total number of applications. . Court documents show that parents were aware of fierce competition. In April 2016, Giannulli copied Loughlin in an email addressed to Singer, according to an indictment: "I have some concerns and I want to fully understand the game plan and make sure that we have a road map to succeed. [our older daughter]. "

The singer replied: "If you want [U]SC I have the game plan ready to go in motion. Call me to talk.

Jennifer Jenkins contributed to this report.

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