That’s more than a small slap on the wrist. Prosecutors are looking to put Felicity Huffman behind bars for four to 10 months after the Desperate Housewives actress pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud on April 8, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The actress, along with more than 30 other rich parents, was busted in a college admissions scandal for paying to help her daughter cheat her way into college. Huffman paid $15,000 to a fake charity to help her child cheat on the SATs.
The law enforcement source also told CNN that the prosecutors’ call to go after a sentence of up to 10 months did not have anything to do with the star’s public apology.
“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done. I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” she said in a statement on April 8. “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. 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.”
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her,” Huffman, 56, continued. “This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
Fuller House actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were also charged with two counts of conspiracy in the college admissions scandal. However, they have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that the couple paid half a whopping million dollars to a fake charity to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California. If found guilty, they could get up to 20 years in prison for each charge, according to CNN.
Huffman’s sentencing hearing is set for May 21.
