Lori Loughlin Released From Bay Area Prison After College Scam

BAY AREA, CA — Lori Loughlin was released Monday after completing a two-month sentence in a Dublin prison for her role in the college admissions scandal.

Loughlin, a 55-year-old actress best known for playing Aunt Becky in the TV show "Full House," and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, a 56-year-old fashion designer pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy charges for facilitating the fraudulent admission of their two daughters to the University of Southern California. Their daughters were admitted as crew recruits, though they had never participated in the sport, according to the Department of Justice. The Los Angeles couple admitted to paying a half-million for their daughters' admissions.

Loughlin began her sentence Oct. 30 at Dublin's Federal Correctional Institution, a low-security facility for females in the Camp Parks area, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Loughlin must complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $150,000 fine and remain under supervised release for two years, CNN reported. Giannulli also faces two years of supervised release, plus 250 hours of community service and a $250,000 fine.

Giannulli paid $50,000 to a USC athletic account and $200,000 to a sham charity operated by William "Rick" Singer, who facilitated their admissions into USC, prosecutors said. Giannulli emailed Singer asking if he could write off the $200,000 sum.

Loughlin and Giannulli are some of the most high-profile individuals involved in the scandal, but they were among nearly 60 people charged in connection with the scheme, including "Desperate Housewives" actress Felicity Huffman. Huffman completed her 11-day sentence at the Dublin facility last year, NBC News reported.

At Loughlin's sentencing, she told the judge that she "helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society" and vowed to use her experience as a "catalyst to do good," the Associated Press reported.