TROUBLE AHEAD

Ex-USC Coach Who Made Fake Athletic Profile for Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Pleads Guilty

Laura Janke, who helped pass off Lori Loughlin’s daughter as a crew athlete, also signed a cooperation deal with prosecutors.

Laura Janke, the former USC soccer coach who helped make fake athletic profiles for students in the college-admissions scandal, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a racketeering conspiracy charge, The Los Angeles Times reports. Janke reportedly admitted to being William “Rick” Singer’s liaison to multiple other coaches at the university. Janke created fake athletic profiles, crafted fake awards, and photoshopped images of the children to make it seem like they were high-level athletes, prosecutors said. She also reportedly took part in passing off the daughter of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli as a crew coxswain, even though the daughter never played the sport. In addition to her guilty plea, Janke also signed a cooperation deal with prosecutors last month—an indication that prosecutors believe she may provide more “credible information” in the case. She will be sentenced on Oct. 17.