Mossimo Giannulli Is Serving Remainder of Prison Sentence in Home Confinement
By Tatayana YomaryUpdated April 5 2021, 11:27 a.m. ET
There’s almost nothing worse than having to do federal time for cheating the system. And while some celebrities and their family members tend to get away scot-free, that’s not the case for Mossimo Giannulli.
In case you missed it, Giannulli, husband of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer, was sentenced to five months behind bars for his involvement in the college admission scandal. And while he has spent a short amount of time in prison, many people have been wondering about his release date — especially since he has been released into home confinement. Here’s the full scoop.
When was Mossimo Giannulli scheduled to be released from prison?
It’s common practice for people to be released from prison early based on good behavior or overcrowding (and that especially tends to be the case for the rich and famous). However, Giannulli was originally going to serve his full sentence in prison.
While Giannulli's attorney initially made an effort to get early release in January 2021— with the remainder of his sentence served at home — his request was shut down, according to NBC News. "Although the court is cognizant of the onerous conditions imposed on defendant as a result of the Bureau of Prisons' emergency Covid-19 response, he has not established that those conditions alone demonstrate an 'extraordinary and compelling' reason for his release," U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton ruled.
So, it was concluded that he would have to serve out the remainder of his five-month prison term at USP Lompoc, a medium-security U.S. penitentiary in Santa Barbara, Calif. His projected release date is April 17, 2021.
Giannuli's decision to request early release reportedly came from seeing the successful turnout of his fellow defendant Toby MacFarlane.
What were the reasons for Giannulli's early release request?
It's not news that prison conditions can be pretty harsh and Giannulli cited these conditions as part of his reasoning for early release.
Giannulli argued that his current stint at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc is particularly harsh due to COVID-19 protocols. He claimed that 56 days spent in isolation "placed a significant toll on his mental, physical and emotional well-being," according to reports and court documents.
And while it's horrible to live in less than adequate conditions, it's unfortunately not completely unexpected when someone commits a crime and is sentenced to prison. While there are some people who are sympathetic to the fashion designer, others feel that he needs to do the time without any complaints. After all, his sentence has been majorly criticized since many people believe that if he were African-American, the consequences would be harsher.
Not a popular opinion, I imagine, but Mossimo Giannulli has been in solitary confinement for 56 days with only one hour a day out of his cell. They broke the law. They were busted but now, you're messing with that man's sanity. Way too long to be alone w/your thoughts.
— Michelle (@kaemicha) January 26, 2021 Source: TwitterMossimo Giannulli Denied Early Prison Release in College Scandal - Variety too bad. He’ll just have to keep his mask on and social distance 6 ‘ https://t.co/IjwDqR9Gfc
— chick (@MarisaM97852968) January 26, 2021 Source: TwitterDespite his prison sentence, "Giannulli was ordered to two years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and 250 hours of community service," ET reports. "He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud."
And while he did apologize for his actions and said that he was ready to face the consequences, anyone can argue that early release would be a contradiction.
Giannulli is now serving the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.
While the hope of Giannulli being released from prison early was crushed by the courts, it looks like the fashion designer has scored a tiny win. That's right: He is currently in home confinement.
According to Deadline, Giannulli is currently serving out the remainder of his prison term at home — starting just three weeks shy of his projected release date. And while the news may come as a surprise, it turns out that this move is not out of the ordinary. The site reports that a prison sentence of that length usually comes with the opportunity of being granted home confinement.
However, Giannuli is still being watched very closely by authorities. The Long Beach Bureau of Prisons facility is currently supervising the fashion designer. Even once his sentence is complete, he will still be under supervision for quite some time.
Giannulli can expect his home confinement to come to an end on April 17, 2021.
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