[ad_1]
Breaking News Emails
Receive last minute alerts and special reports. News and stories that matter, delivered the mornings of the week.
By Doha Madani
A 36-year-old Harvard alumnus pleaded guilty on Friday to a college entrance exam for the children of wealthy parents in connection with an alleged scam of $ 25 million. which led to dozens of criminal charges.
Mark Riddell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and honest service fraud and conspiracy to launder money. He appeared in federal court in Boston and made no statements before his hearing.
He could be sentenced to 41 months in prison, but prosecutors said they would probably recommend 33 months instead, he said. at NBC Boston.
A The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 18, according to the US District Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Riddell apologized last month for his role in the vast federal investigation dubbed Operation Varsity Blues by investigators.
"I want to let everyone know that I am deeply sorry for the damage I have done and the grief that I have caused as a result of my unnecessary actions," said the resident of Palmetto. Florida, in a statement released by his lawyer in March.
Riddell, a Harvard graduate in 2004 and winner of a four-year tennis letter, passed the SAT and ACT exams for students between 2012 and February, according to a criminal complaint.
He was paid $ 10,000 per test, prosecutors said.
It's unclear how many tests Riddell has done, but prosecutors are seeking to recover nearly $ 450,000 from confiscation.
An investigation of more than 10 months conducted by the FBI has resulted in charges against 50 people – including the scammer brain, his accomplices and relatives. Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were among the 33 accused parents.
Huffman is among 14 accused in the scandal that should plead guilty in this case, according to the Justice Department. The former star of "Desperate Housewives" admitted to having disbursed $ 15,000 for her eldest daughter to have more time for her SAT test and to be supervised by a supervisor and to correct the answers.
An advocacy hearing for Huffman is scheduled for May 21 in Boston.
Loughlin and her stylist husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are among 16 parents facing a new indictment for their alleged involvement in the scandal, the US Attorney's Office in Boston said on Tuesday.
The couple had already been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud for allegedly paying bribes totaling $ 500,000 to help their two daughters enter the University of Southern California.
The new indictment adds a charge of money laundering to the couple and 14 other defendants.
Loughlin, best known for her role as Aunt Becky in "Full House", appeared in federal court last month and was released on bail of a million dollars. His representatives declined to comment on Tuesday 's indictment.
The actress was fired from Hallmark Channel after her arrest and her daughter, Olivia Jade, a YouTube star, lost her paid partnerships with Sephora and TRESemmé.
[ad_2]
Source link