USC Freezes Accounts of Students Connected to College Admissions Cheating Case
The University of Southern California has placed holds on the accounts of students who have been linked to the college admission cheating case, the university announced on Tuesday.
Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, along with dozens of others, were charged earlier this month with paying bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into top universities like Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and USC, according to charging documents.
Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, the daughters of “Full House” actress Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were USC students. Jade lost her sponsorship with Sephora shortly after Loughlin’s arrest.
In a tweet, USC wrote that placing the students’ accounts on hold meant that “this prevents the students from registering for classes or acquiring transcripts while their cases are under review.”
Also Read: Lori Loughlin to Be Released on $1 Million Bail in College Admissions Bribe Case
Additionally, the school said that the students have been notified about their status and will receive an update following a review, which could lead to “revoking admission or expulsion.”
Last Tuesday when the news was first reported, USC said that it terminated the two employees associated with the case, and also placed on leave a faculty member who was named in the federal indictment as a parent.
During a press conference in Boston, Andrew Lelling, U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts, said this was the “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” totaling $25 million in bribes.
Also Read: Felicity Huffman's Bond Set at $250,000 in College Admissions Bribe Case
The official charges for both actresses were “conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.” If convicted, they could each face up to five years in prison.
The case prompted Hallmark Channel to cut its ties with Loughlin last week.
“We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations,” Hallmark parent company Crown Media said in a statement. “We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped development of all productions that air on the Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin including ‘Garage Sale Mysteries,’ an independent third party production.”
Check out USC’s tweet below:
Updated information on the College Admissions Issue:
• USC has placed holds on the accounts of students who may be associated with the alleged admissions scheme; this prevents the students from registering for classes or acquiring transcripts while their cases are under review
— USC (@USC) March 19, 2019
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