Mossimo was a sportswear and accessories company, founded in 1986 by designer Mossimo Giannulli that was acquired by Iconix Brand Group in 2006. Mossimo specialized in youth and teenage clothing such as shirts, jeans, jackets, socks, underwear, and accessories.
67-536: Mossimo was founded in 1986 by Mossimo Giannulli on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, California . Giannulli dropped out of the University of Southern California in 1987, to create his Mossimo streetwear line, with a $ 100,000 loan from his father. At the close of his company's first fiscal year, Giannulli had $ 1 million in profits. The following year, he had $ 4 million. Mossimo clothing features prominently in
134-529: A long snapper recruit for USC. In one of the most notable cases, actress Lori Loughlin, famous for her role on the American sitcom Full House and the drama When Calls the Heart , and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli of Mossimo fashion, allegedly paid $ 500,000 in bribes to arrange to have their two daughters accepted into USC as members of the rowing team , although neither girl had participated in
201-732: A nonprofit organization owned by Singer and previously granted 501(c)(3) status; that status allowed him to avoid federal income taxes on the payments, while parents could deduct their "donations" from their own personal taxes. Singer offered college counseling services as The Edge College & Career Network, a limited liability company registered in 2012, which he operated out of his home in Newport Beach. Singer primarily used two fraudulent techniques to help clients' children gain admission to elite universities: cheating on college entrance exams and fabrication of elite sports credentials. Singer arranged to enable clients' children to cheat on
268-468: A $ 250,000 fine. The charges were announced by Andrew Lelling , United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Rosen, Justin O'Connell, Leslie Wright, and Kristen Kearney of the securities and financial fraud unit were assigned as prosecutors of the case. FBI special agent Laura Smith signed the 204-page affidavit in support of the charges. On April 9, 16 of
335-572: A Boston federal court. This trial was centered around phony credentials which the two defendants paid to admit their children into the University of Southern California. Both men were convicted by a jury in October 2021, after 10 hours of deliberation. However, in May 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed all of Aziz's convictions and reversed all of Wilson's conviction (except for filing
402-653: A charge of racketeering conspiracy. At Wake Forest , head volleyball coach William "Bill" Ferguson was placed on administrative leave following charges of racketeering . Former Georgetown University tennis coach Gordon "Gordie" Ernst is alleged to have facilitated as many as 12 students through fraudulent means while accepting bribes of up to $ 950,000. On March 20, 2019, the University of San Diego (USD) revealed that its former men's basketball head coach Lamont Smith allegedly accepted bribes. Hours after that revelation, Smith resigned from his position as assistant coach at
469-627: A cooperating witness were included in the FBI's affidavit. Singer also bribed college athletics staff and coaches. At certain colleges, these personnel can submit a certain number of sports recruit names to the admissions office, which then views those applications more favorably. Singer used his Key Worldwide Foundation as a money-laundering operation to pay coaches a bribe for labeling applicants as athletic recruits. He also fabricated profiles highlighting each applicant's purported athletic prowess. In some cases, image editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop )
536-522: A criminal mastermind", university staff he bribed, and parents who were alleged to have used bribery and fraud to secure admission for their children to 11 universities. Among the accused parents are prominent business-people and well-known actors. Those charges have a maximum term of 20 years in prison, supervised release of three years, and a $ 250,000 fine. One month later, 16 of the parents were also indicted by prosecutors for alleged felony conspiracy to commit money laundering . This third charge has
603-481: A false tax return). In a 154-page decision, the court determined the trial court had erred by instructing the jury admissions spots were "property" for purposes of the offenses of mail and wire fraud , and Wilson's conviction for conspiracy must be overturned because the trial court erred by allowing the admission of "significant amount of powerful evidence related to other parents’ wrongdoing in which these defendants played no part, creating an unacceptable risk that
670-493: A fine on colleges and universities that have the smallest proportion of low-income students. One of the parents who was convicted, Robert Zangrillo, was pardoned by President Donald Trump on his final day in office. Indicted coaches were fired or suspended, or had already left the university at the time of the charges. Mark Riddell, who took tests on behalf of the students, was suspended from his position as director of college entrance exam preparation at IMG Academy and fired
737-604: A half years in prison, with an additional three years probation as well as over $ 10 million in restitution to the IRS and forfeiture of millions of dollars in assets. Singer apologized for his actions, saying "I lost my ethical values and have so much regret. To be frank, I’m ashamed of myself." A total of 50 people have been charged in the investigations. This number includes 33 parents of college applicants and 11 named collegiate coaches or athletic administrators from eight universities. Numerous other universities were not implicated in
SECTION 10
#1732869190877804-483: A homemaker. He was raised in Encino, California . In the first grade, he changed his first name to Mossimo at the suggestion of a teacher who insisted it was easier to pronounce. According to some sources, after graduating from high school, he studied business and architecture at the University of Southern California for three years before dropping out in 1987; in the wake of the college entrance scandal in which Giannulli
871-507: A makeover, introducing new smaller lines and eliminating bigger billion-dollar lines, including Mossimo. Target distanced itself from Mossimo amid Mossimo Giannulli's involvement in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal , saying that Target had not been involved with Giannulli in over a decade. Mossimo and his wife, actress Lori Loughlin , were convicted of bribing University of Southern California officials with up to $ 500,000, to secure enrollment of their two daughters. In 2006, Mossimo
938-483: A maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, supervised release of three years, and a $ 500,000 fine. Two parents in the scandal, Gamal Abdelaziz and John B. Wilson, did not settle and went to trial. In October 2021, they were both convicted of fraud and bribery conspiracy charges. In February 2022, the two parents were sentenced respectively to 12 months and 15 months in jail as well as fines and community service. Both parents appealed their convictions. On May 10, 2023,
1005-578: A maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, supervised release of three years, and a $ 500,000 fine. The investigation's name, Operation Varsity Blues, comes from a 1999 film of the same name . The case is the largest of its kind to be prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice . The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleged that beginning in 2011, 33 parents of high school students conspired with other people to use bribery and other forms of fraud to illegally arrange to have their children admitted to top colleges and universities. The first reporter
1072-745: A middleman, not involving William Singer. Khoury, who was represented by attorney Roy Black , was the only defendant in the Varsity Blues investigation to gain an acquittal at trial. Federal prosecutors alleged a college-admission scheme that involved: Court documents unsealed in March 2019 detail a scheme led by William Rick Singer, at the time a 58-year-old resident of Newport Beach, California. Wealthy parents paid Singer to illegally arrange to have their children admitted to elite schools by bribing admissions testing officials, athletics staff, and coaches at universities. Payments were made to Key Worldwide Foundation,
1139-411: A result of this and other public endorsements by Singer, many former clients have made statements to distance themselves and their children from any perceived involvement in the scandal. The table below lists parents in connection with the nationwide college admissions prosecution as listed by CNN , CBS News , and People . Morrie Tobin is not included in the above total due to the fact that he
1206-403: A superseding indictment. The indictment added those defendants to an existing case against David Sidoo , another of the 33 parents, that was already pending before Judge Nathaniel Gorton . The indictment alleged that the parents engaged in a conspiracy to launder bribes paid to Singer "by funneling them through Singer's purported charity and his for-profit corporation." This third charge has
1273-454: A week later. On March 26, 2019, Yale became the first university to rescind the admission of a student associated with the scandal. On April 2, Stanford announced they also expelled a student connected to the fraud. In July 2020, Grand Canyon University ended its relationship with Singer, who was enrolled as a student of the university's psychiatric school since November 2019. The Hallmark Channel cut its ties to Lori Loughlin , star of
1340-428: Is an unindicted cooperating witness supporting the prosecution's case. To date, 38 of the indicted parents have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted. November 13, 2019 September 26, 2019 September 24, 2019 He had been accused of bribing athletic officials at USC to designate his daughter as an athletic recruit and having CW-1's employee, Mikaela Sanford, take classes on behalf of his daughter. Zangrillo
1407-457: Is not fair. For example, Jane Buckingham was arrested on March 12, 2019, for allegedly submitting false paperwork saying her son had a learning disability; and paying $ 50,000 to Key Worldwide Foundation for a proctor to take the ACT on her son's behalf, scoring a 35 out of 36. The goal was entrance to the University of Southern California (USC). Portions of recorded conversations between Buckingham and
SECTION 20
#17328691908771474-404: Is wrong." On April 2, 2021, Giannulli was released to home confinement where he was slated to remain until the completion of his sentence on April 17, 2021. However, he would be released from home confinement a day early on April 16, 2021. He remained on supervised release until April 2023. 2019 college admissions bribery scandal Operation Varsity Blues was the code name for
1541-654: The Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California , to begin her sentence. She was meant to be released from prison on October 27, 2019, but was released two days early because October 27 fell on a weekend. No charges were filed against Huffman's husband and Sophia's father, actor and director William H. Macy . On September 8, 2021, the scandal's first criminal trial, which saw parents John Wilson and Gamal Aziz (also called Gamal Abdelaziz) as defendants, officially began, with jury selection commencing in
1608-507: The First Circuit vacated most of Abdelaziz and Wilson's convictions. The appellate court found that prosecutors had read honest services fraud too broadly and that universities did not have a property interest in admissions slots. The court affirmed Wilson's conviction for filing a false tax return after he attempted to deduct his bribes from his tax return. Wilson was ultimately sentenced on September 29, 2023 to one year of probation with
1675-445: The SAT or ACT college admission tests . Singer worked with psychologists to complete the detailed paperwork required to falsely certify clients' children as having a learning disability ; this in turn gave them access to accommodations , such as extra time, while taking the tests. Singer said he could obtain a falsified disability report from a psychologist for $ 4,000 to $ 5,000, and that
1742-530: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the universities and Singer, alleged that they were defrauded of both application fees and a fair admission process. In 2020, the court dismissed both lawsuits for lack of legal standing , because, "No plaintiff alleges that they applied for, were being considered for, or were denied an athletic spot ... hence, even if the college admissions scheme occurred as plaintiffs claim, no plaintiff
1809-627: The University of Southern California (USC). They were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud . They were released on $ 1 million bail each. They were among 50 people charged. The couple were also charged with money-laundering offenses in April 2019. The indictment against the couple alleged that they paid $ 500,000, disguised as a donation to the Key Worldwide Foundation, so that USC's admissions committee would think that their two daughters would be joining
1876-438: The University of Texas at El Paso . Two San Diego families were accused of paying $ 875,000 as part of the scheme. Bill McGlashan, a private equity investor, allegedly discussed using Adobe Photoshop to create a fake profile for his son as a football kicker to help him get into USC. Similarly, Marci Palatella, wife of former San Francisco 49ers player Lou Palatella , allegedly conspired with Singer to pass her son off as
1943-429: The 1990 volleyball film Side Out . In 1996, Mossimo went public in an initial public offering . After shares tumbled from $ 50.00 to $ 4.75 when Giannulli tried and failed to transition the brand from streetwear/beachwear to high fashion, he took the brand downscale. On March 28, 2000, Mossimo, Inc announced a major, multi-product licensing agreement with Target stores, for $ 27.8 million. In 2017, Target underwent
2010-636: The Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, however, which according to a fraternity spokesman was due to the fact that "having non-matriculating students associate with the fraternity would not have been uncommon." Giannulli created Mossimo , a mid-range American clothing company in 1986 on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, California . Mossimo specializes in youth and teenage clothing such as shirts, jeans, jackets, socks, underwear, and accessories. During his first year in business he grossed $ 1 million. The following year he made $ 4 million. Mossimo expanded
2077-519: The SAT, ACT, or other test at a private location where Singer could have complete control over the testing process. In some cases, the student was involved directly in the fraud. In others, the fraud was kept secret from the student and corrupt proctors altered tests on their behalf after the fact. In some cases, other people posed as the students to take the tests. Mark Riddell, a Harvard alumnus and college admission exam preparation director at IMG Academy ,
Mossimo - Misplaced Pages Continue
2144-535: The United States, and obstruction of justice for alerting a number of subjects to the investigation after he began cooperating with the government. He faced up to 65 years in prison and a fine of $ 1.25 million. He was sentenced in January 2023, with federal prosecutors asking for six years in prison and Singer's attorneys asking for home detention and community service. Judge Rya Zobel sentenced him to three and
2211-489: The allegations "to determine the extent to which NCAA rules may have been violated". U.S. Senator Ron Wyden ( D - OR ), of the Senate Finance Committee , plans to sponsor a bill making donations to schools taxable if the donor has children attending or applying to the college. Separately, Senators Chris Coons ( D - DE ) and Johnny Isakson ( R - GA ) have agreed to reintroduce 2017 legislation that imposes
2278-585: The charges brought against him in court. On April 9, 2022, a federal jury in Boston convicted Vavic of fraud and bribery. On September 15, 2022, Vavic's conviction was overturned, with Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruling that evidence presented at trial did not determine that the payments “served the defendants’ interests and harmed the university's,” and a new trial was ordered. In 2019, applicants who had been rejected from elite colleges that had accepted Singer's clients filed two civil lawsuits in
2345-617: The couple were expelled from the Bel-Air Country Club . Giannulli and Loughlin both had until November 19, to report to prison. On October 30, 2020, Giannuli refused to report to prison after Loughlin did so. The same day, Loughlin had her right to have people, including Giannulli, visit her in prison suspended due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . Giannulli entered the medium-security federal penitentiary in Lompoc, California on November 19, 2020, to serve his five-month sentence and
2412-415: The first six months to be served in home detention , and 250 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $ 75,000 and restitution in the amount of $ 88,546. On March 10, 2022, the first criminal trial involving a former coach, former USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic , began in the same Boston federal court as well. Vavic was the only coach implicated in the case who opted to challenge
2479-458: The first six months to be served in home detention, 250 hours of community service, a fine of $ 75,000 and restitution in the amount of $ 88,546. In June 2022, the final defendant in the investigation, Amin Khoury, was acquitted at trial of bribing a Georgetown University tennis coach to get his daughter into Georgetown. Khoury was accused of delivering $ 180,000 in a paper bag to the tennis coach through
2546-544: The investigation into the 2019 criminal conspiracy scandal to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities . The investigation and related charges were made public on March 12, 2019, by United States federal prosecutors. At least 53 people have been charged as part of the conspiracy, a number of whom pled guilty or agreed to plead guilty. Thirty-three parents of college applicants were accused of paying more than US$ 25 million between 2011 and 2018 to William Rick Singer, organizer of
2613-443: The jury convicted Abdelaziz and Wilson based on others' conduct" rather than evidence they had joined Singer's scheme as conspirators . Aziz would be the only accused parent to avoid punishment. Despite having most of his convictions overturned and evading prison time, Wilson would later be re-sentenced for his false tax return conviction that was upheld. On September 29, 2023, Wilson was sentenced to one year of probation , with
2680-412: The line in 1991 to include sweatshirts, knits, and sweaters. By 1995, the collection included women's clothing and men's tailored suits. After eight years in business, Mossimo, Inc. had grown into a multimillion-dollar lifestyle sportswear and accessories company. Mossimo went public with an initial public offering in 1996. After shares tumbled from $ 50 to $ 4 when the founder tried and failed to make
2747-470: The original 33 charged parents ( Lori Loughlin , her husband Mossimo Giannulli , Gamal Aziz , Douglas M. Hodge , Bill McGlashan , Diane and Todd Blake, I-Hsin "Joey" Chen, Michelle Janavs, Elizabeth and Manuel Henriquez, Elisabeth Kimmel, Marci Palatella, John Wilson, Homayoun Zadeh and Robert Zangrillo), who had not pleaded guilty to the original charges, were additionally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering by federal prosecutors in Boston in
Mossimo - Misplaced Pages Continue
2814-465: The practice of fraudulently obtaining accommodations such as extra testing time, intended for those with legitimate learning disabilities, was widespread outside of his particular scheme: Yeah, everywhere around the country. What happened is, all the wealthy families that figured out that if I get my kid tested and they get extended time, they can do better on the test. So most of these kids don't even have issues, but they're getting time. The playing field
2881-475: The program Garage Sale Mystery and When Calls the Heart , after she was named as a parent in the indictments. According to The Hill , Netflix decided to drop Loughlin from Fuller House as well. Her younger daughter Olivia Jade also lost her partnerships with TRESemmé and the Sephora chain of beauty products. A USC spokesperson confirmed in March that both of Loughlin's daughters remained enrolled at
2948-466: The report could be re-used to fraudulently obtain similar benefits at the schools. Once the paperwork was complete, Singer told clients to invent false travel plans to arrange to have their child's test locations moved to a test center under his control, either in West Hollywood or Houston . Parents might also be advised to fabricate a family event that could provide a pretense for the student to take
3015-468: The scandal but were themselves victims of Singer's and his clients' actions, such as by considering applications of students with fraudulent test scores. The following universities, their associated athletic programs, and 11 university personnel were involved in the case: Officials said Singer had many legitimate clients, who did not engage in any fraud. Singer cited famous clients on his Facebook page while promoting his 2014 book Getting In and, as
3082-562: The scheme around April 2018 when Los Angeles businessman Morrie Tobin, who was under investigation in an unrelated case for alleged pump-and-dump conspiracy and securities fraud , offered information in exchange for leniency in the previously existing, unrelated case. Tobin, who attended but did not graduate from Yale University , told authorities that the Yale women's soccer head coach, Rudolph "Rudy" Meredith, had asked him for $ 450,000 in exchange for helping his youngest daughter gain admission to
3149-494: The scheme, Key Worldwide Foundation and The Edge College & Career Network (also known as "The Key"). He pled guilty and cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in gathering incriminating evidence against co-conspirators . He said he unethically facilitated college admission for children in more than 750 families. Singer faced up to 65 years in prison, and a fine of $ 1.25 million. In January 2023, he
3216-405: The scheme, who used part of the money to fraudulently inflate entrance exam test scores and bribe college officials. Of the 32 parents named in a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, more than half had apparently paid bribes to have their children enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC). Singer controlled the two firms involved in
3283-412: The school's women's rowing team if admitted. In fact, neither young woman had ever trained in the sport and had no plans to do so. Initially denying the charges, Giannulli and his wife later pled guilty as part of a plea bargain. Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison and a $ 250,000 fine on August 21, 2020, while his wife was sentenced to two months in prison and a $ 150,000 fine. On conviction,
3350-504: The school, but in October the school's registrar stated they were no longer enrolled. According to the San Jose Mercury News , USC scheduled a hearing in March 2019 to determine if Olivia Jade should be designated a "disruptive individual", which would result in her lifetime ban from the university's campus and properties. Loughlin was found guilty and began serving a two-month prison sentence on October 30, 2020. Giannulli, who
3417-844: The school. As part of his cooperation with the FBI, Tobin wore a recording device while talking to Meredith in a Boston hotel on April 12, 2018; Meredith subsequently agreed to cooperate with the authorities and led them to Singer. Meredith pleaded guilty as part of his cooperation with the prosecution. Tobin was not charged in this case, but in February 2019 he pleaded guilty in the unrelated securities fraud case. United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines , to which judges often refer when deciding sentences, call for between eight and ten years behind bars. According to The Wall Street Journal , Vanity Fair , and CBS , prosecutors recommended 36 months of supervised release. In addition, Tobin agreed to forfeit $ 4 million as part of his plea deal. Tobin
SECTION 50
#17328691908773484-545: The sport . On March 13, 2019, media sources reported that, when news of the scandal broke, Loughlin's younger daughter was on Rick Caruso 's yacht in the Bahamas with her friend, Gianna, Caruso's daughter. Caruso is the chairman of the USC Board of Trustees . Singer pleaded guilty on March 12, 2019, in the U.S. District Court in Boston to four felony counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to defraud
3551-422: The test papers, but was described as "just a really smart guy". He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, but reportedly prosecutors said that because of his cooperation they would instead likely recommend 33 months' imprisonment at his November 1, 2019 (originally July 18) sentencing hearing. According to recorded phone calls, the transcripts of which were included in court filings, Singer claimed that
3618-523: The transition from streetwear/beachwear to high fashion, he took the brand downscale, announcing on March 28, 2000, Mossimo, Inc. a major, multi-product licensing agreement with Target stores, for $ 27.8 million. Mossimo was acquired by Iconix Brand Group in 2006. Giannulli and his wife Lori Loughlin were arrested on March 12, 2019 in connection with their alleged involvement in a nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal , regarding their two daughters' (including Olivia Jade ) admission to
3685-754: The women's soccer team, Rudolph "Rudy" Meredith, allegedly accepted a $ 450,000 bribe to falsely identify an applicant as a recruit. USC's senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and water polo coach Jovan Vavic allegedly received $ 1.3 million and $ 250,000, respectively, for similar frauds. They were indicted alongside former USC women's soccer coaches Ali Khosroshahin and Laura Janke. Coaches at two other Pac-12 programs, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo and Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer, were charged with accepting bribes. Vandemoer admitted that he accepted $ 270,000 to classify two applicants as prospective sailors, and agreed to plead guilty to
3752-577: Was Julie Taylor-Vaz, a guidance counselor at Buckley School (a private school in Los Angeles), who in 2017 learned that a Buckley student identified as "Eliza" Bass – a pseudonym given by Vanity Fair – had been accepted to Tulane University , Georgetown University and Loyola Marymount University as an "African-American tennis whiz, ranked in the Top 10 in California," according to the report. However, "Eliza"
3819-524: Was acquired by Iconix Brand Group . Mossimo Giannulli Mossimo Giannulli (born Massimo Giannulli ; June 4, 1963 ) is an American fashion designer who founded Mossimo , a mid-range clothing company, in 1986; Giannulli sold this company to Iconix Brand Group in 2006, exactly twenty years after it was founded. Giannulli was born Massimo Giannulli on June 4, 1963 in Los Angeles to parents of Italian descent, Gene, an architect, and Nancy Giannulli,
3886-491: Was also accused of wiring $ 200,000 to one of Key Worldwide Foundation's false charitable accounts. October 18, 2019 Elizabeth Henriquez sentenced March 31, 2020. Manuel Henriquez sentenced July 29, 2020. September 13, 2019 In response to the scandal, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the chief governing body for college sports in the United States, announced plans to review
3953-456: Was also found guilty, began serving a five-month prison sentence on November 19, 2020. On March 12, 2019, William Singer, the CEO of Edge College & Career Network who masterminded the scandal, pleaded guilty to four criminal charges involving racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruction of justice. On January 4, 2023, William Singer
4020-527: Was involved, however, CNN reported that Giannulli tricked his father into giving him money for tuition (which he used to fund his t-shirt business) and falsified report cards, with his actual education at the university consisting only of attending "USC during the spring semester in 1984, but not as a fully matriculated student. He was enrolled in the College of Continuing Education, a non-degree program open to anyone 'with no formal admission requirements'"; he lived at
4087-416: Was one of the stand-in test takers who took over two dozen exams; he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and one count of money laundering, and agreed to cooperate with investigators. Prosecutors said he was paid $ 10,000 per test, and the government was seeking to recover almost $ 450,000 from him in forfeiture. Riddell did not have advance access to
SECTION 60
#17328691908774154-450: Was scheduled for release on April 17, 2021. Prior to his entry, he was seen with a shaved head and tougher look. In prison, he was placed in isolation due to COVID-19 in a medium security cell, rather than a minimum security cell that he was supposed to be in. He complained about this rough treatment to his family and his son, Gianni. Gianni posted on Instagram that the "mental and physical damage being done from such isolation and treatment
4221-537: Was scheduled for sentencing at a hearing in June 2019, but this did not in fact take place. On March 12, 2019, federal prosecutors in Boston unsealed a criminal complaint charging 50 people with conspiracy to commit felony mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in violation of Title 18 United States Code , Section 1349. Those charges have a maximum term of 20 years in prison, supervised release of three years, and
4288-501: Was sentenced to 3.5 years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and forfeiture of over $ 10 million. On May 13, 2019, actress Felicity Huffman formally pleaded guilty to honest services fraud, which involved hiring someone to take the SAT using the name of her daughter, Sophia. On September 13, she was sentenced to 14 days in jail, one year of supervised release, fined $ 30,000 and ordered to undertake 250 hours of community service . On October 15, 2019, Huffman reported to
4355-556: Was sentenced to three and a half years in prison plus forfeiture of over $ 10 million. He was released from prison in August 2024. Prosecutors in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts , led by United States Attorney Andrew Lelling , unsealed indictments and complaints for felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud against 50 people, including Singer, who has been "portrayed [...] as
4422-478: Was used to insert a photograph of a student's face onto a photograph of another person participating in the sport to document purported athletic activity. In one such incident, Michael Center, the men's tennis coach at the University of Texas (UT), accepted about $ 100,000 to designate an applicant as a recruit for the Texas Longhorns tennis team. A similar fraud occurred at Yale, where the then-head coach of
4489-546: Was white and did not play tennis. Eliza's father, Adam J. Bass, a member of the Buckley School Board, initially denied that he had used an outside admissions consultant before finally admitting to Buckley that his family had hired Rick Singer, the Newport Beach, California man who became infamous in March for being at the heart of the admissions scandal. Bass was a business partner of Singer's and therefore did not have to pay any money to Singer. Authorities became aware of
#876123