'Guns drawn': Startling details of Felicity Huffman's arrest

Felicity Huffman. Photo / Getty Images

FBI agents reportedly stormed actress Felicity Huffman's home in a pre-dawn raid with guns drawn to arrest the star.

The Desperate Housewives star was implicated in an alleged college admissions scandal along with other wealthy parents who allegedly paid millions to get their children into elite universities.

A source told the Los Angeles Times that Huffman and others had recently received notice that they might face arrest.

And sure enough sources "familiar with Huffman's arrest" told the paper that FBI agents showed up at her home on Tuesday morning (LA time) with guns drawn to take her into custody.

Fox News sought confirmation that agents' guns were drawn.

FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller responded: "The size of the arrest team that executed the warrant at defendant Huffman's location is consistent with the size of the teams that executed warrants at all of the arrest locations today (13 locations) and is the average size of an arrest team at any planned arrest warrant.

"No tactical teams were used but all FBI agents are armed and, depending on the circumstances, may draw their weapons as a precautionary measure during the execution of any warrant. This is done for the safety of the agents, subject/s and any other occupants at a given location."

Huffman made a brief court appearance that afternoon and the judge ordered her released on a $US 250,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on March 29.

According to court documents, Huffman, 54, allegedly paid $15,000, disguised as a charitable donation, so her daughter could take part in the scam.

A co-operating witness met with Huffman and her husband William H Macy at their Los Angeles home and explained that he "controlled" an SAT testing centre and could have somebody correct her daughter's wrong answers. The person told investigators the couple agreed to the plan.

Their daughter, Sofia, allegedly took the entry exam and scored 1420, 400 points more than on her first test.

Huffman and several others were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.