Money Laundering Charges For College Admissions Scandal Defendants

It’s almost impossible to commit a white collar crime like the one that has ensnared actresses Lori Loughlin and  Felicity Huffman without conspiring to launder money. Someone forgot to explain that to Loughlin, who reportedly thought she’d skate in respect to serious prison time. She and 16 others who’d refused to cop a plea on bribery charges now face fraud and money laundering charges. 18 U.S.C. §1956, the federal money laundering statute, provides for penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or more. It’s not hard to prove either, if the allegations about the underlying conspiracy are true.  In connection with fraud, prosecutors only need to show that a defendant, working with someone else, was “trying to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of the proceeds of unlawful activity.” In their superseding indictment against the 16 parents this week, the DOJ made specific allegations against Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli to support the money-laundering conspiracy count.