The United States accuses dozens of people in a fraudulent scheme of admission to colleges

BOSTON (Reuters) – US federal prosecutors on Tuesday accused dozens of people in a $ 25 million ploy to help wealthy Americans get their children into high schools, including Yale, Georgetown and Stanford.

Federal prosecutors in Boston accused William "Rick" Singer, 58, of leading the racketeering project through his Edge College & Career Network, which served a list of clients including Hollywood executives and actresses. .

Prosecutors said that the Singer operation had arranged for fake testers to pass admission exams instead of their clients' children and, in some cases, to have candidates listed as recruited athletes even for they had no athletic ability.

Singer is expected to plead guilty in federal court in Boston on charges of racketeering, money laundering and obstruction of justice, according to court documents. It could not be reached for an immediate comment.

Some 33 parents, including Hollywood actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were indicted, along with 13 coaches and Singer's business associates.

In a phone call with a wealthy relative, prosecutors said, "We are helping the richest families in the United States to educate their children. My families want a guarantee.