Actress Felicity Huffman was released on a $250,000 bond Tuesday night after her arrest in a nationwide college admissions scandal in which she was accused of using bribes to ensure her daughter attends a top college.
A magistrate judge in Los Angeles said the “Desperate Housewives” star could be released as long as she remained inside the United States, according to The Associated Press. She was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.
Huffman, 56, is accused of paying $15,000 disguised as a charitable donation to enable her elder daughter to cheat on the SAT, which she took in December 2017. Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, who has not been charged, had arranged to do the same for their younger daughter but then allegedly deciding not to.
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Felicity Huffman photographed after college admissions scandal
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TOPSHOT – Actress Felicity Huffman is seen inside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2019. – Two Hollywood actresses including Oscar-nominated ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Felicity Huffman are among 50 people indicted in a nationwide university admissions scam, court records unsealed in Boston on March 12, 2019 showed. The accused, who also include chief executives, allegedly cheated to get their children into elite schools, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.Huffman, 56, and Lori Loughlin, 54, who starred in ‘Full House,’ are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
A federal judge set bond at $250,000 for Felicity Huffman after she was charged in a massive college admissions cheating scandal. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images)
Actress Felicity Huffman is seen inside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2019. – Two Hollywood actresses including Oscar-nominated ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Felicity Huffman are among 50 people indicted in a nationwide university admissions scam, court records unsealed in Boston on March 12, 2019 showed. The accused, who also include chief executives, allegedly cheated to get their children into elite schools, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.Huffman, 56, and Lori Loughlin, 54, who starred in ‘Full House,’ are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
A federal judge set bond at $250,000 for Felicity Huffman after she was charged in a massive college admissions cheating scandal. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images)
Actress Felicity Huffman is seen inside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2019. – Two Hollywood actresses including Oscar-nominated ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Felicity Huffman are among 50 people indicted in a nationwide university admissions scam, court records unsealed in Boston on March 12, 2019 showed. The accused, who also include chief executives, allegedly cheated to get their children into elite schools, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.Huffman, 56, and Lori Loughlin, 54, who starred in ‘Full House,’ are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
A federal judge set bond at $250,000 for Felicity Huffman after she was charged in a massive college admissions cheating scandal. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images)
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Court documents showed that Huffman and Macy met with a cooperating witness at their home in Los Angeles, where the witness told the couple he “controlled” a testing center for college entrance exams and could have their daughter’s SAT answers secretly changed, AP reported. The couple allegedly agreed to the plan.
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Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy together
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William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy during ABC’s 1998 Summer TCA Press Tour All-Star Party at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pasadena, California, United States. (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage)
361253 16: William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman at the Independent Spirit Award Nominations in Los Angeles, CA, August 1, 1998. (Photo by Russ Einhorn / Liaison Agency)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy during First Annual Project A.L.S. at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage)
William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman during ‘Bowfinger’ Los Angeles Premiere at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, United States. (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage)
SPORTS NIGHT – ‘When Something Wicked This Way Comes’ – Airdate: October 12, 1999. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) FELICITY HUFFMAN;WILLIAM H. MACY
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: US actor William H. Macy(L) arrives at the premiere of her new film ‘Magnolia’ with co-star Felicity Huffman(R) in Los Angeles, CA 08 December 1999. The film is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and also stars Tom Cruise and Julianne Moore. AFP PHOTO/Lucy NICHOLSON (Photo credit should read LUCY NICHOLSON/AFP/Getty Images)
SPORTS NIGHT – ‘And the Crowd Goes Wild’ – Airdate: February 8, 2000. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) FELICITY HUFFMAN;WILLIAM H. MACY
UNITED STATES – CIRCA 2001: William H. Macy and his wife, actress Felicity Huffman, arrive for a benefit screening of the movie ‘Jurassic Park III’ for the Atlantic Theater Company at the Sony Lincoln Square theater. Macy stars in the film. (Photo by Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy during 2004 Emmy Creative Arts Awards – Arrivals at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 19: Actors Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy attend the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium September 19, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman during The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards – Showtime After Party at Morton’s in Beverly Hills, California, United States. (Photo by J. Shearer/WireImage)
NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 11: Actors William Macy and Felicity Huffman backstage at the Heart Truth Fall 2010 Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent at Bryant Park on February 11, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for IMG)
VENICE, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Actors Felicity Huffman and William Macy attend the Cast of ABC’s Desperate Housewives Step Up to Benefit Homeless Youth Fundraiser presented by StandUp For Kids/LA fundraiser at The G2 Gallery which featured photographer Tom Stone’s award winning Portraits of Kids Living on the Streets on February 6, 2010 in Venice, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage for InStyle Magazine)
HOLLYWOOD – APRIL 21: Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy arrive at the Hollywood Stars Bowl For Project A.L.S. at Lucky Strikes on April 21, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/WireImage)
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William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, nominee Best Actress in a Leading Role for ‘Transamerica’ (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)
HOLLYWOOD – MARCH 16: Actor William H. Macy and wife actress Felicity Huffman arrive at Fox Searchlight Pictures Premiere Of ‘Thank You for Smoking’ held at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood on March 16, 2006. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy during The 20th Annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon – Arrivals at Zuma Beach in Malibu, California, United States. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and Eva Longoria (Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage for GLAAD)
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy during Esquire House 360 Hosts Annual Cocktail Party for Oxfam – Red Carpet at Esquire House in Beverly Hills, California, United States. (Photo by J.Sciulli/WireImage)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 15: Actor William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman arrive at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton on January 15, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 23: Actress Felicity Huffman and actor William H. Macy arrive to unveil ‘Got Milk’ ad and announce Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine ‘Family Of The Year’ at Zimmer Museum on May 23, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Beck Starr/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 22: Jennifer Grey, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman arrive for the ‘Trust Me’ – Los Angeles Premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on May 22, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 22: (L-R) Felicity Huffman, Clark Gregg, William H. Macy and Sam Rockwell arrive for the ‘Trust Me’ – Los Angeles Premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on May 22, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 05: (L-R) Actors Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and Eva Longoria attend the 2014 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jane Fonda at the Dolby Theatre on June 5, 2014 in Hollywood, California. Tribute show airing Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on TNT. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 05: Actors William H. Macy (L) and Felicity Huffman attend the 2014 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jane Fonda at the Dolby Theatre on June 5, 2014 in Hollywood, California. Tribute show airing Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on TNT. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for AFI)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Actors Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and Selena Gomez arrive at the Los Angeles VIP Screening of ‘Rudderless’ at the Vista Theatre on October 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 25: Actors Felicity Huffman (L) and William H. Macy attend the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Actor William H. Macy and wife/actress Felicity Huffman arrive at the premiere of ‘Stealing Cars’ held at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – OCTOBER 13: Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy arrive at the Premiere of A24’s ‘Room’ at Pacific Design Center on October 13, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/WireImage)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 29: Actors William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman attend the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Expo Hall on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman attend the Showtime Emmy Eve Party at Sunset Tower on September 17, 2016 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
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Huffman opened the door early Tuesday morning to FBI agents who had their guns drawn, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a source familiar with the incident. She spent several hours in federal custody before appearing in court to hear her charges. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told the L.A. Times that the agency did not use a tactical team to arrest the actress but that FBI agents “are armed and may draw their weapons as a precautionary measure.”
Huffman and “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin are two of at least 40 celebrities, executives and athletic officials charged Tuesday in a massive bribery scheme, where prosecutors said wealthy parents paid up to $6 million in bribes to college coaches and workers at testing centers to help their children get admission into elite, selective colleges. Loughlin was not taken into custody Tuesday and, along with her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, is accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California by having them falsely appear as athletic recruits.
William “RIck” Singer, the founder of an admissions consulting company, pleaded guilty Tuesday to running the scheme.
Huffman’s next court date is March 29 in Boston.
A representative of Huffman did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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Best Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman memes
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When you gotta break aunt Becky out of jail. https://t.co/ouwPjstDnV
did i expect aunt becky to become a meme about inequality in college admissions today? no ………. but the lord works in mysterious ways
Ah, Aunt Becky, how the tables have turned. https://t.co/kohi5bpp5w
TERI HATCHER GOT ME INTO BROWN
JUDITH LIGHT GOT ME WAIT LISTED AT TUFTS
My day was going seemingly as planned until Aunt Becky was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest… https://t.co/6WqQ70fQqP
First Aunt Becky witness called to the stand https://t.co/ENEPkOPJBE
What college admissions committee in their right mind wasn’t already admitting Aunt Becky’s children?! https://t.co/NV7KO7dsJQ
Lori Loughlin after spending >$1 mil on legal fees, bribes & tuition for a college that’s not even ranked top 20 https://t.co/Yy4aFi3yPW
They got Aunt Becky out here getting cuffed by the feds. We living in the worst of times. https://t.co/HPAxk0fFsX
Aunt Becky…SMH https://t.co/xAhBQzORGW
Honestly if it turns out Aunt Becky is deeply enmeshed in the bagmen culture of college basketball everything will be worth it
Lori Loughlin aka Aunt Becky after a long day of college exam fraud https://t.co/00LyS2dDhS
Aunt Becky really paid $500,000 for her child to get into USC half a million for USC….Well now she’s moving from… https://t.co/M6bMzc23Xf
Uncle Jesse bargaining for Aunt Becky’s freedom rn https://t.co/okqDCp7C6q
Judge: Your still lookin at 29 years..
6ix9ine: You remember aunt becky…? https://t.co/tb77YRMboE
On the way to bail out Aunt Becky !! https://t.co/WkiS34kFAW
“I ride BMX. And you’d never believe my daughter rows crew.” -Aunt Becky https://t.co/iF1oDF4aAv
For $500,000 my child better be getting into Hogwarts, forget USC. Damn Aunt Becky https://t.co/Dqh0I2Y9mg
“I can’t wait to lie to get you into the schools of your dreams!” – Aunt Becky https://t.co/pkkOj3vXlp
yo I used to watch Olivia Jade on YouTube and homegirl always talked about how she hated school/barely went and I a… https://t.co/zzh5uGrdaA
Aunt Becky changing all her daughters test answers when she steals it from the test proctor https://t.co/NtBeL65xet
So Aunt Becky from Full House and Lynette Scavo from Desperate Housewives are involved in this college exam scheme… https://t.co/R4Sznhixr6
When I decided to sleep in this morning, I had no idea one of the consequences would be, “all the good Felicity Huf… https://t.co/dkH6KUu6eZ
Live look at Felicity Huffman getting arrested today https://t.co/0RcQWBqFzi
DUPLICITY Huffman
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- This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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