Felicity Huffman tearfully pleads guilty in college admissions scandal

The Oscar-nominated actress admitted to paying $15,000 for a proctor to change her daughter's SAT answers. </s> Actress Felicity Huffman cried and held her hands in front of her face while pleading guilty for her role in the college admissions scandal. The Boston judge accepted her plea and prosecutors are recommending she gets four months in prison and a 20-thousand dollar fine. However, the judge has the final say in her sentence.

Huffman admitted to paying 15-thousand-dollars to rig her daughter’s SAT Test. She agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud last month. </s> 56-year-old actress entered plea Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest services mail fraud

Felicity Huffman arrives at federal court Monday, May 13, 2019, in Boston, where she is scheduled to plead guilty to charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The Latest on the plea of actress Felicity Huffman in the college admissions bribery scheme (all times local):

“Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to participating in the college admissions cheating scheme.

The 56-year-old actress entered the plea Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Huffman stood with her hands clasped in front of her and responded, “Yes, your honour,” when asked whether she understood the charges. Her brother watched from the front row. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, didn’t attend.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 13. Prosecutors said they would recommend four months in prison.

She was arrested in March along with dozens of other prominent parents, athletic coaches and others implicated in the scandal. She was charged with paying $15,000 to have a proctor boost her older daughter’s SAT score.

She has apologized and says she will accept the consequences.

A California businessman has pleaded guilty to paying $250,000 in bribes to get his son into the University of Southern California as a fake water polo recruit.

Devin Sloane entered his plea Monday in Boston federal court. He is among 14 parents who have agreed to plead guilty to charges in the sweeping college admissions scandal.

Authorities say Sloane gave $250,000 to an admissions consultant’s sham charity and the USC women’s athletic program and to have his son designated as a water polo recruit even though he didn’t play the sport.

Officials say Sloane bought athletic gear online and worked with a graphic designer to create a bogus photo of his son playing the sport for the teen’s application.

Actress Felicity Huffman was also scheduled to plead guilty Monday.

“Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman has arrived at federal court in Boston, where she is set to plead guilty in the college admissions cheating scheme.

The 56-year-old actress didn’t speak as she walked into the courthouse Monday with her brother Moore Huffman Jr.

Huffman is expected to admit to allegations that she paid $15,000 to have someone correct the answers on her daughter’s SAT.

She is among 14 prominent parents who have agreed to plead guilty since dozens of people were arrested in March in the case named “Operation Varsity Blues.”

Huffman has apologized and said her daughter was unaware of her actions.

Prosecutors have said they will seek a prison sentence on the low end of a range between four and 10 months.

Actress Felicity Huffman is set to plead guilty to participating in the sweeping college admissions bribery scheme.

The “Desperate Housewives” star is scheduled to appear Monday in Boston federal court.

Huffman was among 50 people charged in March in what authorities have called the largest college admissions cheating scandal ever prosecuted in the U.S.

The Emmy-award winning actress was accused of paying $15,000 to have a proctor correct the answers on daughter’s SAT exam.

Huffman has said she takes full responsibility and will accept the consequences.

Prosecutors say they will seek between four and 10 months in prison.

Thirteen other parents have also agreed to plead guilty.

Parents still fighting the charges include fellow actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. </s> Thirteen wealthy parents, including actress Felicity Huffman, and one coach will plead guilty to using bribery and other forms of fraud as part of the college admissions scandal, federal prosecutors in Boston said on Monday.

Huffman, the “Desperate Housewives” star, pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to a fake charity associated with Rick Singer to facilitate cheating for her daughter on the SATs, the complaint says.

She faces up to 20 years in prison. In exchange for Huffman’s plea, federal prosecutors will recommend incarceration at the “low end” of the sentencing range, a $20,000 fine and 12 months of supervised release. They will not bring further charges.

A federal judge will have the final say on the outcome for Huffman and the other defendants.

“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” she said in a statement.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.

“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty,” she said in the statement.

Huffman, Gregory and Marcia Abbott, Jane Buckingham, Gordon Caplan, Robert Flaxman, Agustin Huneeus Jr., Marjorie Klapper, Peter Jan Sartorio, Stephen Semprevivo and Devin Sloane were all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and have agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said.

Bruce Isackson and Davina Isackson will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson will also plead guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the IRS for taking a tax deduction for the bribe.

Finally, Michael Center, the former men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Prosecutors recommended a range of sentences for those pleading guilty, from 12 to 18 months and unspecified “low end” amounts such as Huffman’s recommended sentence.

Rick Singer, who ran a college prep business, masterminded what prosecutors called the largest college admissions cheating scheme ever prosecuted in the United States.

Singer helped wealthy parents cheat on standardized tests for their children, and he bribed college coaches to falsely designate the children as recruited athletes, smoothing their path to admission.

The scheme helped the students get into highly selective universities like Yale, Stanford, University of Southern California and UCLA.

Several of the central figures in the case have already pleaded guilty, including Singer. Yale women’s soccer coach Rudy Meredith, who accepted a bribe to help a student get admitted, and Mark Riddell, who cheated for the students on the SATs and ACTs, have agreed to plead guilty and are cooperating witnesses for the prosecution.

John Vandemoer, Stanford University’s former sailing head coach, has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering.

But a number of the defendants in the case have given no signs of a coming guilty plea, including “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team, easing their acceptance to the school.

The criminal complaint says Huffman and Singer exchanged multiple emails about how to get extra time on her daughters’ SAT.

They then arranged for Huffman’s daughter to take the SAT at a location controlled by an administrator who had been bribed by Singer, the complaint states. Riddell, the brains of the operation, then flew from Tampa to California to cheat on the test for Huffman’s daughter.

Huffman’s daughter received a score of 1420 out of a maximum of 1600 on the SAT, a score about 400 points over her Preliminary SAT exam a year earlier. Huffman later discussed the scheme in a recorded phone call with Singer, the complaint says.

In court last week, Huffman acknowledged her rights, charges and the maximum possible penalties. She waived a pretrial hearing, signed conditions of her release and then was free to leave. Her husband, the actor William H. Macy, is not charged in the case.

Prosecutors will be asking for jail time for all defendants, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. The defendants are facing anywhere between six to 21 months in prison if convicted or if they plead guilty, the official added, though the exact sentence would depend on a number of factors.

USC, Georgetown University and other schools implicated in the scheme have said they are reviewing the admissions of students accused of participating. Yale and Stanford have each expelled students associated with the scam. </s> Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty Monday to paying $15,000 to a fake charity that facilitated cheating when her daughter took the SATs.

When she appeared in federal court in Boston, prosecutors recommended a sentence of four months prison time for the “Desperate Housewives” TV star for her role in the college admissions scandal. They also suggested a $20,000 fine and 12 months of supervised release for the charge, which is a felony.

The charity was associated with Rick Singer, who has confessed to helping wealthy parents cheat on standardized tests for their children. Singer also bribed college coaches to falsely designate students as recruited athletes, smoothing their path to admission, a criminal complaint says.

Huffman and Singer exchanged emails on how to provide her daughter with extra time to take the SAT exam, the complaint says, and arranged for the girl to take the test in a location controlled by an administrator whom Singer had bribed.

Huffman’s daughter received an SAT score of 1420 out of a possible 1600 — about 400 points higher than her Preliminary SAT exam a year earlier.

Huffman later discussed the scheme in a recorded phone call with Singer, the complaint says.

Huffman agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in April. She was among 13 parents who have said they would plead guilty in the scam. Seventeen other parents, including actress Lori Loughlin, submitted not guilty pleas. A federal judge will have the final say on the outcome for Huffman and the other defendants.

Huffman arrived at court Monday afternoon accompanied by her brother.

“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” the actress said in a statement early April.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”

Huffman’s husband, actor William H. Macy, is not charged in the case. </s> Academy Award-nominated actress Felicity Huffman appeared in Boston federal court Monday and pleaded guilty to a charge stemming from the massive “Varsity Blues” college entrance scandal that ensnared dozens of parents nationwide who prosecutors say lied and bribed to get their children into elite schools.

Huffman, 56, agreed to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Through tears, Huffman acknowledged she was guilty of paying $15,000 to arrange for an college entrance exam proctor to correct her daughter’s answers and for her daughter to be allowed more time to take the test.

In exchange for her plea, federal prosecutors consented to recommend a sentence of four months imprisonment, a year of supervised release and a $20,000 fine.

In a statement last month, Huffman said she is prepared to accept her punishment.

“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office,” Huffman said in her statement. “I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.”

The actress — famous for her Academy Award-nominated role in the 2005 movie “Transamerica” and for playing one of the main characters in the ABC television show “Desperate Housewives” — allegedly gave $15,000 to William “Rick” Singer, who prosecutors identified as the ringleader of the nationwide scam, “to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of their oldest daughter,” court documents allege.

Huffman said in court Monday that she had no knowledge that Singer allegedly paid Igor Dvorskiy, a test administrator for the College Board and ACT, and Mark Riddell, who allegedly took or rigged test scores for students, to facilitating cheating scam on behalf of her daughter.

“But everything else Mr. Rosen said I did I did,” Huffman said in court, referring to assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen, who outlined the charge against her.

Prosecutors said Huffman helped facilitate the scheme by having her daughter diagnosed with a learning disability, an excuse that allowed girl extra time to take her SAT exam.

Crying in court, Huffman sought to clarify that a neuropsychologist who diagnosed her daughter with a learning disability had been seeing her since she was 8 years old and had nothing to do with the scheme.

The agreement Huffman reached with prosecutors requires her to relinquish her right to appeal both her conviction and her sentence. In exchange, the government agreed to recommend the lesser sentence and to not bring additional charges.

“There is a trade here. They’ve given up something,” U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani told Huffman, referring to federal prosecutors.

Huffman was ordered to return to court on Sept. 13 to be sentenced.

The actress claimed in her statement last month that her daughter “knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her.”

Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, later made arrangements to pursue the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so, court documents allege. Macy was not charged in the scam.

On March 13, federal prosecutors announced that 50 wealthy people, including chief executive officers of major companies and a partner in a New York City law firm, were charged in the largest college cheating scam ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Also pleading guilty Monday was Devin Sloane, a Los Angeles businessman who paid $250,000 to get his son admitted to USC as a water polo recruit even though the teen never the sport. Prosecutors detailed the lengths Sloane went to photograph his son wearing water polo gear and how he got a graphic designer to make the photos look legitimate.

Those indicted in the investigation, dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” allegedly paid bribes up to $6.5 million to get their children into elite colleges, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.

Another well-known actress indicted in the scam is Lori Loughlin, best known for her role as Aunt Becky in the ABC sitcom “Full House.”

Loughlin, 54, and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, 55, allegedly agreed to pay Singer “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the indictment.

Both were initially charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

When Loughlin and Giannulli declined to accept a plea deal in April, federal prosecutors filed an additional charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering against them.

A superseding indictment unsealed in April alleged the couple and 14 other parents conspired to “conceal their fraud scheme by funneling bribe and other payments through the facade” of the Key Worldwide Foundation, a sham charity established Singer.

Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Singer has already pleaded guilty in a Boston federal court to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on June 19.

Several coaches involved in the scam have also pleaded guilty, including former Yale soccer coach Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith and former Stanford sailing coach John Vandemoer.

One of Singer’s top accomplices in the scandal, Mark Riddell, also pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Riddell, an alumnus of Harvard University, played a pivotal role in the scheme, taking the ACT and SAT for the students whose parents conspired with Singer to pay to help secure their admission into prestigious schools. </s> Actress Felicity Huffman is joining 13 other defendants in the college admissions scandal who are pleading guilty, according to the Department of Justice.

Huffman, a star on ABC’s Desperate Housewives and the wife of Shameless star William H. Macy admitted to paying $15,000 to get her older daughter unlimited time for her SAT test and to have a proctor administer the test and correct the answers.

Macy was not charged in the FBI Investigation.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said in a statement. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”

While revealing that her daughter knew “absolutely nothing” about the deal she made with scheme organizer William Rick Singer, Huffman added, “This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life.”

Singer pleaded guilty last month to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. Huffman agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The max sentence for those charges? 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release and fines.

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Felicity Huffman, 13 Others To Plead Guilty In College Admissions Scandal was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com

Also On 101.1 The Wiz: </s> Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty for her involvement in the "Operation Varsity Blues" scandal in a Boston federal court Monday afternoon.The " Desperate Housewives " star was accused of paying $15,000 to increase her oldest daughter's SAT scores.Huffman agreed to plead guilty for "conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud" in April."I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions," Huffman said in an April statement.Huffman's daughter received a 1420 on the SAT . This was 400 points higher than her Preliminary SAT scores.according to The Associated Press Huffman's daughter was reportedly unaware of her mother's involvement in the scheme.The 56-year-old's guilty plea makes her the highest-profiled person, so far, to admit to the allegations, the AP reported.Federal officials accused William Rick Singer of cheating the college entrance system to help parents get their children into elite colleges. He allegedly ran and used his purported charity Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF) in California to facilitate the bribes. Authorities charged at least 50 people in the case.The scam reportedly involved cheating on the SAT and ACT college entry exams and bribing college athletic coaches."Full House" actress Lori Loughlin the other high-profile person in the case, along with fashion designer husband </s> Felicity Huffman said Monday in a statement she is pleading guilty after being charged in the college admissions scandal, saying she has “deep regret and shame” over what she has done.

The former “Desperate Housewives” star admitted she paid at least $15,000 to arrange for a proctor to change answers on her eldest daughter’s SAT.

“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office,” Huffman, 56, said in her statement.

“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman continued. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.

“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”

Huffman, who appeared in a Boston court last Wednesday in connection with the scandal, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, according to the Department of Justice. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines. However, it is not likely Huffman will spend nearly that much time in prison, since no other charges were committed with the fraud and no violent crime was involved.

The actress is one of 14 defendants who have agreed to plead guilty, the Department of Justice said.

Dozens of parents were charged in the scheme, including “Fuller House” star Lori Loughlin. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as elite rowers, even though neither had ever participated in the sport.

The organizer of the scheme, William Rick Singer, pleaded guilty last month to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Actress Felicity Huffman pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and admits to paying $15,000 for a proctor to change her daughter's SAT answers.