Throughout her involvement in the college admissions bribery scandal, Lori Loughlin has possessed the confident air of someone who genuinely believes she did nothing wrong and will eventually be acquitted by both a jury of her peers and the court of public opinion.

In recent weeks, however, that confidence — or confident facade, as the case may be — has crumbled with the dawning realization that a lengthy prison sentence might await her in the very near future.

Last week, prosecutors brought new charges against Loughlin that could dramatically alter the course of her upcoming trial.

Now that she’s been charged with bribing officials who work for a federally-funded program (a seemingly minor legal distinction that might carry major consequences) Loughlin is facing 50 years behind bars.

News of the new allegation comes on the heels of a report that investigators have uncovered email correspondence in which Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, essentially confesses to the couple’s accountant.

And, of course, all of this came to light the same week that Felicity Huffman began her prison sentence for her own role in the scandal.

Huffman got off with a slap on the wrist — serving just 11 days of a paltry 14-day sentence — but it’s unlikely that Loughlin will be so lucky.

After all, Felicity agreed to a plea deal — an opportunity that Lori declined.

With all that transpiring in just the past two weeks, perhaps it should come as no surprise that these are very tense times in the Loughlin-Giannulli household.

“The entire family is in chaos right now,” a source close to the family tells People magazine. 

“They knew this was a possibility, but they thought perhaps it was just a bargaining tool from the prosecution,” the insider says in reference to the latest allegations.

“Now that the charges are official, they are realizing that there is no way to avoid a moderately long prison sentence, unless they are found not guilty in a trial.”

Shockingly, the source says that Loughlin and Giannulli still see themselves as victims in all of this:

“They feel like this is David versus Goliath,” says the insider.

“How do you go up against the federal government when the government has decided to make an example out of you? This stress is about to break them.”

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that Loughlin still has no interest in returning to the bargaining table ahead of her trial:

“Does she regret not taking the deal? Of course she does, because it would have been easier,” says the source.

“But taking the deal would have admitted guilt, and she believes she was duped by unscrupulous people who enriched themselves off of her,” the insider adds.

“It is her position that she was not some sort of criminal mastermind.”

Obviously, it seems unlikely that the prosecution is convinced Aunt Becky is some sort of diabolical kingpin.

But the fact remains that Loughlin stands accused of doling out $500,000 in bribes, and she could very well end up doing time in connection with multiple felony convictions.

“She just wanted what was best for her daughters. And it has turned into an ongoing nightmare,” says the insider.

And sadly, the worst may be yet to come.

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