Why Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman will likely go to prison in college cheating scandal

Deadline

The two actresses both appeared in federal court in Boston today over their alleged involvement in the college bribery scandal, facing the presiding judge in their case for the first time and agreeing to waive their right to a pre-trial hearing. Loughlin reportedly tried to schmooze with prosecutors, shaking each of their hands in court. Both TMZ and Deadline report that, due to the high-profile nature of their cases, Huffman and Loughlin will likely get prison time -- whether they're convicted or if they reach plea deals. TMZ reports any plea deal will come with the requirement that they serve at least some time behind bars. Deadline's Dominic Patten adds: "Mindful of the intense spotlight that the case is under, prosecutors are determined to see the American Crime and Fuller House actors spend some time behind bars if they are found guilty. As the duo exited the federal courthouse in Beantown in the past few minutes, the expected rapped on the knuckles that such high profile white collar crime defendants typically receive is increasingly not an option for authorities...Rumblings among law enforcement indicated that the actors more than likely looking at a penalty of somewhere around six months to just under two years. The actual time sentenced and potential probation and fines could in no small part depend on how much the duo cooperate with the on-going probe."

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