"Full House" star Lori Loughlin has reported to a California federal prison to serve her two-month sentence for her part in the "Operation Varsity Blues" college admissions scam, an official at the facility told NBC News.
Loughlin and and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were required to begin serving their prison sentences by Nov. 19. They admitted to paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits. Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison.
Loughlin's representative had no comment when reached Friday by NBC News.
The prison is in Dublin, California, southeast of Oakland. It's the same low-security correctional institution where Felicity Huffman served her sentence in the college admissions case.
The famous couple was sentenced to prison time three months after they reversed course and admitted to participating in the college admissions cheating scheme that has laid bare the lengths to which some wealthy parents will go to get their kids into elite universities.
They are among nearly 30 prominent parents to plead guilty in the case, which uncovered hefty bribes to get undeserving kids into college with rigged test scores or fake athletic credentials.
"I made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process and in doing so I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass," Loughlin said during her sentencing hearing in August.
At his hearing, Giannulli told a judge that he "deeply" regretted the harm his actions had caused his daughters, wife and others.
"I take full responsibility for my conduct. I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward, with the lessons I've learned from this experience," Giannulli said.
Under the plea deals — unusual because the proposed terms were binding once accepted, instead of granting the judge sentencing discretion — Giannulli was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. Loughlin was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.
Loughlin and Giannulli had insisted for more than a year that they believed their payments were "legitimate donations" and accused prosecutors of hiding crucial evidence that could prove the couple's innocence.
Their about-face came shortly after the judge rejected their bid to dismiss the case over allegations of federal agents' misconduct.
The case shattered the clean image of Loughlin, 56, who gained fame for her role as the wholesome Aunt Becky in the sitcom "Full House" that ran from the late 1980s to mid-1990s, and later became queen of the Hallmark channel with her holiday movies and the series "When Calls the Heart."
"Lori lost the acting career she spent 40 years building," her attorney BJ Trach said, describing the "devastating" impact the charges had on Loughlin's family life and career.
