OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:30 AM PT — Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Dozens of people, including prominent celebrities, are facing charges in connection with a nationwide college admissions cheating scandal. Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among those charged in the scheme.
Prosecutors are saying the scheme was orchestrated by William Rick Singer, who is the founder of a for-profit college preparation business based in California and disguised as a charity. Singer allegedly collected a total of $25 million from parents to bribe administrators and coaches to get their children into top universities, including Yale, Georgetown and USC.
As part of the scheme, parents would pay Singer to hire other people to take the SAT or ACT tests on behalf of their children to ensure their college admission.
U.S. Attorney for District of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling announces indictments in a sweeping college admissions bribery scandal, during a news conference, Tuesday, March 12, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
“Overall today we have charged three people, who have organized these scams, two ACT or SAT administrators, one exam proctor, one college administrator, nine coaches at elite schools, and 33 parents who paid enormous sums to guarantee their children’s admission to certain schools through the use of bribes and fake academic and athletic credentials,” announced attorney Andrew Lelling of the District of Massachusetts.
Huffman and her husband allegedly gave about $15,000 to get their daughter into college, while Loughlin and her husband agreed to pay about $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters on USC’s rowing team.
Singer is facing several charges, including money laundering and obstruction of justice. He is expected to plead guilty in federal court Tuesday.
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