Her prison cameo has come to an end.
Hollywood star Felicity Huffman on Friday completed her brief stint behind bars for participating in the nationwide college admissions cheating scam that outraged the public, ensnared the rich and famous, and sparked heated debates about the role cash plays in getting into college.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons on Friday confirmed in a statement that the actress was “released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons today, October 25, 2019, per BOP Program Statement 5140.36 ‘Release of Inmates Prior to a Weekend or Legal Holiday.’ ”
Huffman, 56, had been scheduled for release Sunday from FCI-Dublin, a low-security lockup in Dublin, Calif.
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A rep for Huffman, who starred in the hit show “Desperate Housewives” and floored critics with her gutsy performance in the film “Transamerica,” didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on her weekend plans or how she spent her time in custody.
Huffman, the spouse of “Shameless” star William H. Macy, tearfully pleaded guilty in May to a sole count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying $15,000 to pad her daughter’s SAT score.
A judge handed down a 14-day sentence last month. Huffman also paid a $30,000 fine. In addition, she’ll have to perform 250 hours of community service.
Huffman’s not the only Tinseltown A-lister entangled in the sprawling case, which prosecutors dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.”
Lori Loughlin, whose star turn as Aunt Becky on the sitcom “Full House” endeared her to millions, is facing several charges along with her husband, the fashion icon Mossimo Giannulli, for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on bribes to get their daughters into USC as phony crew recruits.
The couple’s case is pending, and their daughters are no longer enrolled at the highly selective university.
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Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.