Lori Loughlin slapped with new charges, now faces up to 40 years in prison for college cheating scandal

“Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and 15 other parents were indicted Tuesday on a new money laundering charge in connection to the massive college cheating scandal that has implicated dozens of wealthy parents, coaches and college administrators across the nation.

The superseding grand jury indictment comes a month after federal authorities arrested a total of 50 people, including celebrities and corporate titans, in what has been described as “Operation Varsity Blues,” the largest college admissions case ever prosecuted in the country.

Loughlin and the other 15 parents, including her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, now face up to a total of 40 years for the two charges against them — conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering — as well as a combined fine of up to $750,000, if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

The indictment was announced a day after 13 other parents agreed to plead guilty in the case, a sign that prosecutors are determined to pressure anyone still fighting the allegations.

One of those 13 is actress Felicity Huffman, who played Lynette Scavo on the ABC series “Desperate Housewives.” Her plea hearing is set for May 24.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said in a public apology this week. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”

Prosecutors say all 33 parents involved paid convicted mastermind William “Rick” Singer about $25 million in bribes over nearly a decade to help get their children into highly-selective colleges. Singer would bribe SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker to secretly take exams in place of students or correct their answers, but he also paid athletic coaches and administrators to designate students as athletes regardless of their athletic experience, court records show.

Giannulli and Loughlin, known for playing Aunt Becky on the ABC sitcom “Full House,” are accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team, despite the fact they had no rowing credentials. The couple appeared in court last week, but did not enter a plea.

Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 to rig her oldest daughter’s SAT scores. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, has not been charged.

Among the parents indicted Tuesday is Michelle Janavs, whose family founded the microwave food company Hot Pockets, and William McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth, a division of private equity firm TPG Capital. McGlashan’s attorney told the Associated Press the case against his client is “is deeply flawed.”

The schools implicated in the scandal include Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and Wake Forest.