Rick Singer a 62-year-old businessman from Newport Beach, California, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison as a result of his role in the ‘Operation Varsity Blues’ college admissions scandal. The scandal started in 2011 and lasted until 2018.
Operation Varsity Blues was a college admissions scandal in which wealthy parents paid bribes to get their children admitted to elite universities. The scandal was publicly uncovered in March 2019 when the FBI arrested 50 people, including Rick Singer, the man who ran the scheme. Singer pleaded guilty to multiple charges and is currently serving a prison sentence. The scandal attracted widespread media attention and sparked a debate about fairness in the college admissions process.
When speaking about “Operation Varsity Blues” Federal prosecutors called the scheme:
“…breathtaking in its audacity and levels of deception it involved.”
Rick Singer pleaded guilty to multiple charges and is currently serving a prison sentence. Among the other people charged were 33 parents who were accused of paying bribes to get their children admitted to elite universities, as well as coaches and administrators at various schools who were accused of accepting bribes. Some of the high-profile parents who were implicated in the scandal include Lori Loughlin, an actress, and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli; Gordon Caplan, a former co-chairman of a law firm; and Bill McGlashan, a founder of a private equity firm.
Actress Lori Loughlin, Aunt Becky in “Full House,” served two months in prison for participating in the college admissions scam. Loughlin also must serve two years of supervised release, along with performing 100 hours of community service, and Loughlin will have to pay a fine of $150,000.
