Sep 18, 2019

Operation Varsity Blues: 52nd person charged in college admissions scandal

Jacob Knutson

Operation Varsity Blues ringleader William Singer. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

U.S. prosecutors charged Chinese national Xiaoning Sui on Monday for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest-services mail fraud, alleging that she paid $400,000 to enroll her son at UCLA as a fake soccer player, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Sui is the 52nd person and the 35th parent to face criminal prosecution in what authorities have called the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Details: Prosecutors allege that Sui worked with high school tennis recruiter Scott Treibly and ringleader William Singer in 2018 to bribe UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo to recruit her son and receive a partial academic scholarship.

  • Prosecutors say that Sui transferred $400,000 to Singer for his services. Of that, $100,000 went to Salcedo.
  • Sui faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release and a fine of at least $250,000. Treibly does not currently face charges.

What they're saying: A UCLA spokesperson told WSJ that the university took "immediate corrective action" after the case was first disclosed in March, but can’t discuss individual students due to privacy laws.

Go deeper ... Timeline: The major developments in the college admissions scandal

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Jacob Knutson

LA business executive sentenced in college admissions scandal

Stephen Semprevivo. Photo: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Thursday sentenced Los Angeles businessman Stephen Semprevivo to 4 months in prison for paying $400,000 to have his son admitted into Georgetown University as a fictitious tennis recruit in the ongoing college admissions scandal, according to USA Today.

The state of play: Semprevivo's sentencing also includes 2 years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service and a fine of $100,000. He is the 3rd parent of 35 charged to receive a sentence in the scheme, led by consultant William Singer.

Go deeperArrowSep 26, 2019
Axios

Timeline: The major developments in the college admissions scandal

Actress Lori Loughlin exit the Boston Federal Court house after a pre-trial hearing with at U.S. courthouse in Boston on Aug. 27. Photo: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty Images

In what Department of Justice prosecutors have called the biggest admissions scam in U.S. history, parents allegedly bribed coaches and paid for forged standardized tests in a conspiracy to get their children into elite American colleges.

Driving the news: A former college exam proctor accused of accepting bribes to allow cheating on college entrance exams pleaded guilty on Nov. 13 to a racketeering charge. Prosecutors claimed Igor Dvorskiy accepted about $200,000 in bribes to assist 20 students. That same day, Toby Macfarlane, a California-based insurance executive, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to conspiring with Rick Singer on behalf of his two children.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Nov 13, 2019
Jacob Knutson

2nd parent sentenced in college admissions scandal

University of Southern California. Photo: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Tuesday sentenced businessman Devin Sloane to 4 months in prison in what federal authorities have called the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, according to USA Today.

The big picture: Sloane's sentencing also includes 500 hours of community service over 2 years, a fine of $95,000 and 2 years of supervised probation. He is now the 2nd parent to be sentenced of 35 charged in the scheme, led by consultant William Singer, which involved correcting admissions test scores, falsifying student achievements and disabilities and bribing college coaches and administrators at prominent universities.

Go deeperArrowSep 24, 2019