LOS ANGELES: Actress Felicity Huffman was released from prison Friday after serving 11 days of a 14-day sentence for her role in a scam in which she paid a bribe to help her daughter gain admission to college.
Huffman, 56, began serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on October 15 and had been set to be released on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said that the “Desperate Housewives” and “American Crime” star was released early from the low-security facility east of San Francisco under rules that allow inmates to be freed prior to a weekend.
Huffman, who is married to actor William H. Macy, was the first of more than 30 parents to be sentenced in an elaborate and wide-ranging scam to help children of the elite secure places in top US colleges.
She pleaded guilty in May during a tearful court appearance to paying $15,000 to boost her daughter’s SAT college entrance exam score.
The scandal erupted in March when the ringleader behind the scam, William “Rick” Singer, admitted running the fraud which ranged from cheating in entrance exams to bribing coaches to help non-athletic students get scholarships.
Authorities say he was paid about $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators. He has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities.
Actress Lori Loughlin from 1980s-90s sitcom “Full House” and her husband are among parents who turned to Singer for help and are also facing charges. The pair have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
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