Financial Crimes

BOSTON (AP) — A former employee of the mastermind of the college admissions bribery scheme pleaded guilty Thursday for her role in the scam. Mikaela Sanford, 34, of Folsom, California, pleaded guilty before a Boston federal court judge to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. The hearing was held via videoconference because of the […] More

October 2, 2020

'Full House' star Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, apologized publicly at their sentencing. More

August 21, 2020

UPDATE: Friday afternoon, Lori Loughlin was sentenced to 2-months in a federal prison for her part in a college bribery scheme. Her husband Mossimo Giannulli was sentenced Friday morning. In addition to the prison time, Loughlin must pay a $150,000 fine. By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli was […] More

August 21, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles financier who tipped authorities to the college admissions cheating scheme was sentenced to prison Wednesday for trying to cheat stock investors out of $15 million. Morrie Tobin, 57, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison by a federal judge in Boston who acknowledged his “extraordinary” […] More

August 13, 2020

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Someone forged the will of the missing husband of Carole Baskin, a woman prominently featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King” documentary series, a Florida sheriff said. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told 10 Tampa Bay on Tuesday that two experts had confirmed the will of Jack “Don” Lewis is a forgery. Lewis disappeared in […] More

June 4, 2020

Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to their parts in a bribery scheme. More

May 22, 2020

“Full House” Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, agreed to serve prison time as part of a plea deal in the college admissions bribery case, according to court papers filed Thursday. Loughlin has agreed to serve two months behind bars and Giannulli has agreed to serve five months under the deal […] More

May 21, 2020

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A nonprofit group caught up in an embezzlement scheme in Mississippi used federal welfare money to pay former NFL quarterback Brett Favre $1.1 million for multiple speaking engagements but Favre did not show up for the events, the state auditor said Monday. Details about payments […] More

May 5, 2020

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press The judge overseeing the case against actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and other parents charged with cheating the college admissions process called allegations of misconduct by investigators “serious and disturbing” on Friday. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton ordered prosecutors to respond to allegations that investigators bullied their […] More

April 20, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has allowed Michael Avenatti to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and to ride out the coronavirus scare at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. The attorney, who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Donald Trump, petitioned last […] More

April 13, 2020

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A California woman was sentenced Tuesday to seven months in prison for paying bribes to rig her two daughters’ college admissions exams and get one of them into Georgetown University as a fake tennis recruit. In an unusual hearing held via videoconference due to the coronavirus […] More

April 1, 2020

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli urged a judge to dismiss charges against them in the college admissions bribery case. More

March 26, 2020

California attorney Mike Avenatti has asked a judge to reject a jury's verdict that found he tried to extort Nike for millions of dollars. More

March 25, 2020

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — After winning guilty verdicts against top Enron executives in one of the most high-profile cases of corporate fraud, the lead prosecutor declared: “No matter how rich and powerful you are, you have to play by the rules.” More than a decade later, that same lawyer, Sean […] More

March 11, 2020

'Full House' actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, will head to trial in October. More

February 27, 2020

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving President Donald Trump, was convicted Friday of trying to extort sportswear giant Nike. The verdict was returned by a federal jury in Manhattan following a three-week trial in which […] More

February 14, 2020

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Lawyers for “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and other prominent parents charged in the sweeping college admissions bribery case say they won’t be ready to go to trial until next year. Federal prosecutors in Boston have said the first trial […] More

February 13, 2020

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the jet-setting lawyer who once represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her battles with President Donald Trump, is being housed in isolation at a federal lockup facility for his own safety, the jail warden said Tuesday. Avenatti is currently being held in the most […] More

January 22, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new prosecution filing in the college admissions cheating case targets defense claims by actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, who are accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California in the guise of crew team members, the Los Angeles Times reported […] More

January 17, 2020

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the embattled former attorney for the porn actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested Tuesday evening in California for alleged bail violations, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors. The arrest came as Avenatti was appearing before the State Bar Court in Los Angeles, which […] More

January 15, 2020

Prosecutors say Michael Avenatti was over $15 million in debt when he tried to extort up to $25 million from Nike. More

December 26, 2019

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK | ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge threw out state mortgage fraud charges against Paul Manafort, ruling Wednesday that the criminal case was too similar to one that has already landed President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman in federal prison. The move was a blow to what […] More

December 18, 2019

BY COLLIN BINKLEY | AP EDUCATION WRITER BOSTON (AP) — Lawyers for actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband say federal prosecutors are holding back crucial evidence that could prove the couple’s innocence in a college admissions scandal that has ensnared dozens of wealthy parents. In a court motion filed Friday in Boston’s court, […] More

December 16, 2019

BOSTON (AP) — “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband are contesting expanded charges against them in the college admissions bribery scandal. Lawyers for Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli entered not guilty pleas on their behalf Tuesday to charges of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Earlier this month, the couple waived their right to […] More

November 19, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve Bannon, who served as chief executive of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, told jurors Friday he saw Roger Stone as “an access point” to WikiLeaks, which later released hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign. Bannon appeared as a reluctant witness in Stone’s criminal trial in federal court under subpoena and […] More

November 8, 2019

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Marion man has been imprisoned for defrauding a homeowners association out of nearly $125,000. The Gazette reports that 55-year-old Wayne Jones Jr. was given 18 months at his sentencing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He’d pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors say that while Jones was treasurer of […] More

November 4, 2019

BOSTON (AP) — “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband are contesting the latest charges against them in the college admissions scandal. Lawyers for Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli filed court documents Friday saying the couple plans to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. The couple also […] More

November 1, 2019

DUBLIN, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say actress Felicity Huffman has been released from a federal prison in California on the 11th day of a 14-day sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal.   The U.S. Bureau of Prisons says the “Desperate Housewives” star was released from the low-security prison for women in the […] More

October 25, 2019

BOSTON (AP) — “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband and nine other parents faced new federal charges Tuesday in a scandal involving dozens of wealthy parents accused of bribing their children’s way into elite universities or cheating on college entrance exams. A grand jury in Boston indicted the parents on charges of […] More

October 23, 2019

ATLANTA (AP) — Reality television personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley on Tuesday accused a Georgia tax official of abusing his office to pursue “bogus tax evasion claims” against them. The “Chrisley Knows Best” stars filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Joshua Waites, the director of the Georgia Department of Revenue’s office of special investigations, according […] More

October 15, 2019