Mossimo Giannulli

Mossimo Giannulli
Born:	June 4, 1963 Los Angeles, California
Charges:	Conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud
Sentence:	5 months federal prison, 2 years supervised release, $250,000 fine, 250 hours community service
Facility:	FCI Lompoc
Status:	Released

Mossimo Giannulli (born June 4, 1963) is an American fashion designer who founded the Mossimo clothing brand in 1986. The label reached a national audience through an exclusive licensing arrangement with Target. Giannulli is married to actress Lori Loughlin, known for her role on the television series Full House.

In 2019 Giannulli and Loughlin were charged in the federal college admissions case known as Operation Varsity Blues. Prosecutors said the couple paid $500,000 to admissions consultant Rick Singer to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as recruits to the women's crew team. Neither daughter rowed competitively. Giannulli pleaded guilty in May 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. On August 21, 2020, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced him to five months in federal prison, two years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. The term was longer than the two months given to Loughlin. Prosecutors had argued Giannulli played the more active role.

Giannulli reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, in November 2020. He was released to home confinement in April 2021.

Early Life and Career

Mossimo Giannulli was born on June 4, 1963, in Los Angeles, California. He enrolled at the University of Southern California and left after his freshman year to start a clothing line.

He founded Mossimo in 1986. The brand began with men's casual and beachwear built around a bright California look. It found early traction with younger shoppers looking for affordable styles. Mossimo Inc. went public in 1996. The stock climbed and then slid. The company expanded into too many categories and ran into financial trouble by the late 1990s.

In 2000 Giannulli signed a licensing deal that gave Target exclusive rights to sell Mossimo-branded products. The arrangement turned a struggling label into a mass-market staple and made the name familiar to shoppers across the country. The Target relationship ran for years and generated substantial income for Giannulli.

Giannulli married Lori Loughlin in 1997. The couple had two daughters, Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade. Olivia Jade built a large following on YouTube and Instagram and held sponsorship deals with consumer brands before the 2019 case.

Varsity Blues Scandal

The case grew out of a long federal investigation into a college admissions scheme run by William "Rick" Singer. Singer operated a consulting business and a related charity. Through them he arranged inflated test scores and fabricated athletic credentials for the children of wealthy clients. Federal agents charged dozens of parents, coaches, and administrators in March 2019.

According to the government, Giannulli and Loughlin began working with Singer in 2016. The plan was to present their daughters as recruits for the USC women's crew team. Singer's group built athletic profiles describing the daughters as rowers. The profiles included photographs of the young women on indoor rowing machines. Singer then routed the applications through USC's athletic department, where senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel flagged them as recruited athletes. Neither daughter had a background in competitive rowing.

The couple paid $500,000 in total. The money moved through Singer's charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, which let the payments resemble donations. Court records described email exchanges in which Giannulli helped coordinate the staged photographs and the fabricated profiles. Prosecutors pointed to those exchanges to argue that he was an engaged participant rather than a passive payer.

Isabella was admitted to USC in 2017. Olivia Jade was admitted in 2018. Both entered as purported crew recruits.

Charges and Guilty Plea

Giannulli and Loughlin were charged on March 12, 2019. The initial counts covered conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud. The couple pleaded not guilty and contested the case for more than a year.

In October 2019 prosecutors added a federal programs bribery charge against the couple, raising their potential exposure. The added count followed their decision to fight rather than settle. The pressure of the expanded case pushed both toward a resolution.

On May 22, 2020, Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. The agreement set out an expected sentence of five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service. Loughlin pleaded guilty the same day to a single conspiracy count with a recommended two-month term.

The path the couple took stood apart from that of actress Felicity Huffman. Huffman pleaded guilty early, paid $15,000 in the scheme, and received a 14-day sentence. Giannulli and Loughlin paid far more and resisted longer.

Sentencing and Incarceration

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced Giannulli on August 21, 2020. The hearing was held by video because of pandemic restrictions. Gorton imposed five months in federal prison, two years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. He sentenced Loughlin to two months. The split reflected the government's view of their relative roles.

Gorton spoke sharply at sentencing. He told Giannulli, "You were not stealing bread to feed your family. You have no excuse for your crime and that makes it all the more blameworthy." The judge described the conduct as driven by arrogance rather than need.

Giannulli reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, in Santa Barbara County, California, on November 19, 2020. The facility placed him in isolation for his first weeks under COVID-19 intake procedures used across the federal system at the time. His five-month term ran through the spring of 2021.

Release and Aftermath

Giannulli was released from FCI Lompoc on April 2, 2021, and moved to home confinement under the supervision of a Bureau of Prisons reentry office in Long Beach. Bureau records listed his projected release from home confinement later that month. He completed the term and the supervised release that followed.

After his release he completed the 250 hours of community service the court had ordered. Both daughters left USC in the wake of the case. Olivia Jade returned to public life, including an appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2021, and continued her social media work.

Giannulli and Loughlin remained married after their sentences. Reports in 2025 indicated the couple had separated after nearly 28 years together, though no divorce had been filed.

The couple's case became one of the most visible in the broader Varsity Blues prosecution. The $500,000 figure ranked among the larger sums charged, and Loughlin's television fame drew sustained coverage. Their early decision to contest the charges rather than cooperate shaped much of that attention. Following the case, USC tightened oversight of athletic recruiting and added review of large donations tied to admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Mossimo Giannulli?

Mossimo Giannulli is an American fashion designer who founded the Mossimo clothing brand in 1986 and is married to actress Lori Loughlin. He served five months in federal prison for his role in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions case.

Q: What did Mossimo Giannulli do?

Giannulli and Loughlin paid $500,000 to admissions consultant Rick Singer to have their two daughters admitted to USC as crew team recruits. Neither daughter rowed competitively. Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services fraud.

Q: How long was Mossimo Giannulli's sentence?

Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced Giannulli on August 21, 2020, to five months in federal prison, two years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service.

Q: Why did Mossimo Giannulli get a longer sentence than Lori Loughlin?

Prosecutors argued Giannulli took a more active role in the scheme, helping coordinate the fabricated athletic profiles and staged rowing photographs. Loughlin received two months. Giannulli received five.

Q: Where was Mossimo Giannulli incarcerated?

Giannulli served his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California. He reported on November 19, 2020.

Q: When was Mossimo Giannulli released?

Giannulli was released from FCI Lompoc to home confinement on April 2, 2021, and completed his term that month.

Q: How much did Mossimo Giannulli pay in the scheme?

Giannulli and Loughlin paid $500,000 through Rick Singer's charity to secure their two daughters' admission to USC as fake crew recruits.

Q: Are Mossimo Giannulli and Lori Loughlin still married?

The couple remained married after serving their sentences. Reports in 2025 said they had separated after nearly 28 years together, though no divorce had been filed.