California residents have likely heard of the ongoing college admissions scandal that involves famous names like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Several wealthy individuals were charged with allegedly using fraudulent means to gain acceptance into prestigious universities for their children. One of the parents charged in the scandal was sentenced on Sept 24.
Felicity Huffman and 15 other parents charged for bribery-related offenses pleaded guilty to federal charges as part of a plea deal. Devin Sloane, who is a 53-year-old California businessman, was the second parent to be sentenced. Sloane’s sentence includes a $95,000 fine, 500 hours of community service and four months in prison.
Dubbed by law enforcement officials as Operation Varsity Blues, 52 people were charged in the alleged college admissions fraud scheme. Sloane reportedly helped his son get accepted at the University of Southern California by falsely presenting the applicant as a water polo recruit. He is said to have paid $250,000.
The college consultant who orchestrated the admissions scandal is Rick Singer, and Singer pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the United States and racketeering conspiracy. He has not yet been sentenced.
For her role in the scandal, Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 250 hours of community service, 14 days in prison and a $30,000 fine. She reportedly paid $15,000 to have SAT answers corrected for her oldest daughter. Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and his wife Lori Loughlin are among those who pleaded not guilty to related charges.
Stories like this with multiple defendants help illustrate the potential options a person has when facing criminal charges. An attorney might negotiate with prosecutors to drop some charges as part of a plea deal. Alternatively, another course of action may involve taking a case to court and fighting charges.
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