Judgment Day for Huffman, Risk of Imprisonment for Prison

© provided by the Associated Press
DOSSIER – In this archival photo of April 3, 2019, actress Felicity Huffman appears in federal court in Boston to face charges in connection with a corruption scandal in a college . Huffman, who pleaded guilty to only one count of conspiracy and fraud in May, is back for his sentence Friday, Sept. 13, 2019 in federal court in Boston. (AP Photo / Charles Krupa, File)

BOSTON (AP) – Actress Felicity Huffman returns to court to be convicted for her role in the corruption scandal in college admissions.

The star of "Desperate Housewives" is scheduled to appear in Boston federal court on Friday after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and fraud in May. She is the first parent to be convicted of the 34 defendants in this scheme.

Huffman admitted to having disbursed $ 15,000 to improve his eldest daughter's SAT scores in 2017 with the help of William "Rick" Singer, an admissions consultant at the center of the program. Prosecutors say that Huffman's daughter was not aware of this arrangement.

Prosecutors recommended a month in prison, a probation release and a $ 20,000 fine. Huffman's lawyers say that she should get a year of probation, 250 hours of community work and a $ 20,000 fine.

The case is considered as an indicator of the future of the accused persons. Over the next two months, nearly a dozen other parents will be convicted for pleading guilty. A total of 15 parents pleaded guilty and 19 others are fighting against them.

Huffman's legal team claims that she was only a "client" in a larger project orchestrated by others. In past cases of academic fraud, they said, only the leaders were jailed.

In a September 4 letter asking for clemency, Huffman said that she had turned to the scheme because her daughter's poor math results had compromised her dream of going to school. University and pursue a career in the theater. She is now "deeply and permanently ashamed," she said.

Prosecutors countered that Huffman knew the scheme was bad, but still chose to participate. They said that she was not motivated by need or despair, "but by a sense of entitlement, or at least by lack of morality."

The amount paid by Huffman is relatively small compared to the other bribes alleged in the scheme. Some parents are accused of having paid up to $ 500,000 to allow their children to attend elite schools by calling them athletes recruited for sports that they do not did not even practice.

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying for their two daughters to be admitted as fake athletes at the University of Southern California.

Authorities say it is the biggest case of admittance to a college never prosecuted by the Justice Ministry, with a total of 51 people indicted.

Related Video: What can Felicity Huffman expect if she is sentenced to prison? (Provided by Inside Edition)