US college scam mastermind Rick Singer gets 3½ years in prison
- The admissions bribery scheme ensnared celebrities and other wealthy parents who bought their children’s way into top-tier universities like Stanford and Yale
- Those jailed for their part in the scandal include Full House actress Lori Loughlin and Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman
The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared celebrities, prominent businesspeople and other parents who used their wealth and privilege to buy their children’s way into top-tier schools was sentenced to 3½ years in prison on Wednesday.
The punishment for Rick Singer, 62, is the longest sentence handed down in the sprawling scandal that embarrassed some of the nation’s most prestigious universities and put a spotlight on the secretive admissions system already seen as rigged in favour of the rich.
Prosecutors had sought six years behind bars, noting Singer’s extensive cooperation that helped authorities unravel the entire scheme.
Singer began secretly working with investigators in 2018 and recorded hundreds of phone calls and meetings that helped authorities build the case against dozens of parents, athletic coaches and others arrested in March 2019.
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‘Hard work’ (and US$6.5 million) gets you into Stanford
Those sent to prison for taking part in the scheme include Full House actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, and Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman. Coaches from schools including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown University and the University of California, Los Angeles, admitted to accepting bribes.
