ACTRESS Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli’s legal troubles continue to mount.

In addition to the charges they’re facing for money laundering and conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, the couple is now also facing federal bribery charges. Loughlin and Giannulli, as well as 11 other parents who pleaded not guilty, were charged Tuesday, according to federal prosecutors.

The bribery charge carries with it a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.

Loughlin and Giannulli have been accused of paying US$500,000 to have their daughters admitted to USC and crew team recruits even though neither of them rowed.

Since the scandal broke in March, neither Loughlin nor Giannulli have admitted any wrongdoing. They both pleaded not guilty, and are expected to fight all charges in court.

Felicity Huffman, who was convicted of paying US$15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT scores favorably altered, began her 13-day prison sentence last week in Dublin, California. People reported that Loughlin had been attempting to contact Huffman to learn more about her sentence. “She feels like Felicity’s time in jail will be an indicator on her own time, and she’s extremely curious to know how it goes,”  a source told People.

(SD-Agencies)