Lori Loughlin's fans chant 'Free Aunt Becky' outside court

Two of Lori Loughlin's young fans were spotted holding masks of her face and chanting 'free Aunt Becky' outside her highly-anticipated college bribery scandal court hearing.

Lianna Ferrara, 20, and Alyssa Stevens, 21, skipped class at Boston's Bentley University on Wednesday so they could catch a glimpse of the actress as she made her first appearance in federal court.

The two Bentley University juniors screamed out as Loughlin arrived at the court with her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli.

They are both accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as fake rowing recruits.

'As children we were both huge fans of Aunt Becky. She was kind of like our childhood mom,' Alyssa Stevens said of Loughlin, according to People. 

'I'm not saying what she did wasn't wrong. It was. I got rejected from so many schools and what they did really wasn't fair. But everyone is acting so surprised. I don't know why. I mean, rich people do corrupt things.'

Her friend Lianna Ferrara added that while she's a fan of the Full House actress, she gets mad thinking about how hard she studied to get into college. 

'I remember staying up really late studying for my SATs - SATs that I took myself' she said. 'It doesn't mean I am not a fan of Loughlin's though.' 

The 53-year-old actress didn't interact with the two fans on her way into court but is said to have smiled and mouthed 'thank you' as she was leaving. 

Loughlin and her fellow Hollywood star Felicity Huffman were among those to face court on Wednesday charged with participating in the largest college admissions fraud in US history. 

They are by far the biggest names among the 50 coaches, test administrators and parents to have been ensnared in the sensational college admissions scandal uncovered by Operation Varsity Blues.

Both women stand accused of participating in the scheme that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the bribing of corrupt coaches and college administrators to falsely designate applicants athletes.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. Each crime carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, which ever is greater.

Loughlin, who on Tuesday was spotted posing with fans and signing autographs, glad-handed the prosecution when she faced court.  

In a remarkable charm offensive when she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 55, were called to take their place before Judge M Page Kelley, Loughlin first reached across to shake hands with prosecutors Eric Rosen, Justin O'Connell and Leslie Wright. 

Elegantly dressed in a tan pantsuit with grey sweater, she appeared remarkably relaxed. She answered clearly that she understood her charges, her right to remain silent and desire to waive a preliminary hearing. Her husband did likewise. 

Huffman had arrived at the courthouse mid-morning, clutching her brother's hand. Her husband William H Macy was not by her side.

Where Loughlin was convivial, Huffman was somber. She sat head bowed and read through the conditions of her bond alongside her Boston based attorney, Martin Murphy as she waited for her moment to be called forward to sign them.

After she had, she pursed her lips, took off her glasses and swiftly left the room.

Those conditions - the same for all the parents - include limited travel within America for personal purposes and international travel only with court approval for 'significant' business dealings.

All of the parents' bonds are to remain unchanged - $1million for Loughlin and her husband, $250,000 for Huffman.

A total of 15 parents, including Huffman and Loughlin, had been expected to make their first court appearances this afternoon.

But moments before this afternoon's hearing was due to start, one of the parents due to appear filed a motion indicating he intended to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Peter Sartorio, 53, is the first of the 33 parents ensnared in Operation Varsity Blues to indicate such an intention. His appearance has been delayed until the end of the month as a result.

Two further parents due to appear today have had their court dates postponed – entrepreneur Jane Buckinham, 50, and CEO Devin Sloane, 53 both filed motions requesting extensions.

Parents Gregory and Amy Colburn appeared separately to face an additional charge. As well as conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the couple from Palo Alto have been indicted on charges of money laundering

Between them they stand accused of throwing down more than $3.3 million to get their kids in the 'side door' to some of the most prestigious universities in the country. A further 15 appeared last Friday. 

Loughlin received a star-studded welcome after touching down in Boston Tuesday, smiling as she posed for photos and signed autographs when she was greeted by fans at Boston Logan International Airport.

The couple allegedly paid out $500,000 to guarantee their daughters Isabella, 20, and Olivia, 19, places in the University of South California by having the girls fraudulently designated athletic recruits.

Both won places as row crew recruits despite the fact that the closest they ever got to the sport was being photographed on an ergometer in pictures sent by their father to scheme mastermind Rick Singer, 58, in support of the fraudulent applications.

Loughlin and Giannulli both had bonds of $1million set by federal court in LA. Huffman's was set at $250,000. These conditions are expected to remain unchanged by the Boston judge.

Huffman's husband William H Macy, 69, has avoided any charges though telephone conversations recorded by the FBI suggest that he was well aware of the scheme and his wife's alleged participation.

Huffman allegedly paid $15,000 to have corrupt test proctor Mark Riddell , 36, take her daughter, Sofia's SAT.

Riddell, who has admitted his guilt in a plea agreement reached in February, would either sit exams for the applicant or correct their answers. The tests were sat at a center that Singer claimed to 'control.'

Singer advised parents to obtain extra time by getting a letter from a doctor or psychologist advising that their child has learning disabilities of some kind.

Singer told FBI agents that he met with the former Desperate Housewife, Huffman, 56, and her Shameless spouse, Macy, at their home in Los Angeles to explain how the cheating scheme worked.

In October 2017 Huffman's daughter, Sofia, 19, received a letter advising that she had been approved for 100 percent extended time.

Huffman immediately forwarded the letter to Singer with the words, 'Hurray! She got it.' 

But the alleged plan was nearly over before it began when a school counselor informed Huffman that the school would be the test center and that she herself would act as proctor.

Huffman forwarded this information with the message, 'Ruh Ro! Looks like [my daughter's high school] wants to provide own proctor.'

Singer replied that they would speak about it.

In subsequent emails the actress allegedly agreed to tell the high school that her daughter would take the exam at a different center and across a weekend so that she would not miss any school.

Ultimately Sofia scored 1420 on her SAT - some 400 above the score she had achieved on a practice test.

Huffman was recorded almost immediately entertaining the idea of doing the same for her younger daughter, seventeen-year-old Georgia though she worried that the girl would insist on sitting the test twice regardless of what she got as she was 'academically driven.'

In November 2018 she allegedly confirmed that she wanted to go ahead with the scheme but only after her daughter first took the exam on her own, without cheating.

Singer told law enforcement that when parents insisted on this he would typically direct Riddell to ensure that their second score didn't increase by more than 30 percent from the 'baseline' to avoid any suspicion.

According to Macy they were talking about applying places 'like Georgetown.'

In the end Huffman and Macy decided not to go through with the cheating scheme for their younger daughter. 

In contrast Loughlin and her husband stand accused of enthusiastically participating in the scheme for both their daughters.

In April 2016 Giannulli sent an email to Singer, copying his wife, in which he said he wanted to 'fully understand the game plan and make sure we have a roadmap for success as it relates to [our daughter] and getting her into a school other than ASU!'

In Singer's view Olivia's academic qualifications were 'at or just below the 'low end' of USC's admissions standards.'

In September 2016 Giannulli sent Singer a picture of Isabella, 20, on a rowing machine to assist with the creation of a false athletic profile. Two days after she received a conditional acceptance Giannulli received an invoice for a purported donation of $50,000 to Donna Heinel, Senior Women's Associate Athletic Director of USC Athletics.

Heinel, 57, has been charged and pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy - a crime carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000.