Designer Mossimo Giannulli, the husband of actor Lori Loughlin, was released from prison in California shortly before his five-month sentence for conspiracy in the college admission scandal.
According to his inmate records, he will remain under the supervision of a residential reentry facility in Long Beach until April 17. A source familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that Giannulli was released on Friday and will serve the last weeks of his sentence at home.
Giannulli was serving time for his role in the college admissions scandal, which arrested dozens of wealthy parents who allegedly paid millions of dollars to a life coach who secured their children places in elite schools. In August, Giannulli was convicted after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. He and Loughlin were accused of spending $ 500,000 on bribes to get their daughters to go to the University of Southern California under false pretenses, even displaying photos to make them look like successful candidates for the rowing team. Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison for his involvement.
A Netflix documentary about the scandal, Operation Varsity Blues, was released earlier this year, generating a response from Giannulli and Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade. The influencer posted a TikTok last week about being “publicly embarrassed”, causing a reaction.
While the reason for Giannulli’s early release is unclear, the Department of Justice this year has accelerated the release of more prisoners and increased options for home confinement to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, especially in low-security prisons. BuzzFeed News contacted the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Long Beach facilities that oversee the confinement of Giannulli’s home.
In January, Giannulli was denied requests to fulfill the rest of his term at home. Judge Nathaniel Gorton wrote in a January 26 order that his decision to deny the request for early release was to send a clear message to privileged prisoners that they cannot “break the law”.
“This Court … has determined that a 5-month sentence is appropriate insofar as it serves, inter alia, to dissuade and dissuade others who may, like Giannulli, believe that because they can pay, they can break the law,” the Gorton’s request stated.
According to court documents, Giannulli spent 56 days isolated while incarcerated after people in his unit tested positive for COVID-19, and he also showed symptoms of COVID-19.