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Federal prosecutors on Tuesday indicted dozens of people as part of a major scandal relating to admission to universities, involving wealthy parents, including Hollywood celebrities and prominent chefs. by bribes to bring their children to American elite universities.
Thirty-three parents were charged in this case. High-level coaches accused of accepting millions of dollars to help admit students to Yale, Stanford, Wake Forest, the University of Southern California and others schools, were also involved, officials said.
Along with Hollywood stars Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, influential figures have been charged, including a business executive, a fashion designer and a leading lawyer, officials said.
The case unveiled on Tuesday was astonishing in its breadth and audacity. This was the largest judicial prosecution of the Department of Justice to date, a large investigation involving 200 officers across the country resulting in the arrest of 50 people in six states.
The charges also underscored how college has become a determinant of prosperity and success in America as admissions have become more competitive and ruthless. The authorities claim that some of the richest and most privileged students' parents in the country have been corrupted and cheated to get places for their children in top universities, not only to trick the system, but also to prevent Other hard-working students can not pursue higher education. .
"Parents are the main culprits for this fraud," said Tuesday Andrew E. Lelling, US District Attorney for Massachusetts, at a press conference. Mr. Lelling said that these parents had used their wealth to create a separate and unfair admission process for their children.
But, said Mr. Lelling, "there will be no separate criminal justice system" for them.
"The real victims in this case are the hard-core students," who were moved into the admissions process by "much less qualified students and their families who simply bought their seats," said Mr. Lelling.
William Rick Singer, founder of a college preparatory company called Edge College & Career Network, also known as The Key, is at the center of the vast case of fraud and financial crimes.
Mr. Singer, who has agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with federal prosecutors, has used Key and its non-profit branch, Key Worldwide Foundation, based in Newport Beach, California, to help students cheat on their behalf. standardized tests. courses and pay bribes to coaches who could get them into college with fake sports references.
Mr. Singer allowed students to cheat on the standardized tests used by schools to evaluate candidates, SAT and ACT. Mr. Lelling testified that Ms. Huffman participated in the fraudulent portion of the SAT.
Mr. Singer also bribed Division 1 coaches to tell them that they wanted some students, even though they did not have the required qualifications.
Mr. Lelling said that the first leader in the case was when the focus of an entirely separate investigation had given prosecutors a clue that corruption and cheating were likely to occur.
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