Los Angeles, Mar 13 (IANS): "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman has appeared in a US federal court here on charges of paying a bribe to boost her daughters SAT score.

She was arrested by the FBI agents. A judge ordered her released on $250,000 bond for two SAT proxies, media reports said.

Huffman was arrested "without incident" on Tuesday following federal investigation into bribery in college admissions process. There were 7 feds at her door earlier in the day with guns drawn, CNN said.

TMZ reported the 56-year-old star was taken into custody at 6 a.m.

According to Deadline, Huffman later appeared in court alongside 10 other fellow indictees, where she surrendered her passport and answered "yes" when asked if she understood her charges.

Huffman, whose real estate assets are reportedly worth more than $20 million, is accused of making a $15,000 donation to the Key World Foundation, a charity organisation run by a man named William Singer that allegedly served as a front for a college admissions bribery scheme.

Huffman allegedly made the donation so Singer could arrange for someone to correct the wrong answers on her eldest daughter's SAT test; her daughter ended up scoring significantly higher on that test than she did on her PSATs one year prior.

Huffman's husband William H. Macy sat in the front row in court.

"Full House" actress Lori Loughlin, also indicted, was however, not in court. Her husband Mossimo Giannulli's bond was set at $1 million, secured against his home, since his charges were significantly more serious, Variety said.

Loughlin and Huffman were only two of 45 rich people indicted on Tuesday. The next court date is set for March 29 in Boston for both Huffman and Mossimo, who surrendered their passports to the court.