Prosecutors seek six years for ‘Varsity Blues’ mastermind, defense wants six months
The man behind a nationwide college admissions cheating scandal that drew attention for its connections to high-profile and celebrity families is asking the court for just six months in prison, while prosecutors want up to six years.
Rick Singer, 62, also faces hefty fines in the scheme, which involved celebrities like “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman.
According to court documents, families paid Singer, a college admissions consultant, thousands each to get their kids into good universities under embellished accomplishments. The investigation into the scheme was known as “Operation Varsity Blues.”
Singer, working under the Key Worldwide Foundation, was found guilty of hiring people to take tests in place of students who falsely claimed they needed more time to take the ACT or SAT for medical reasons. He’s also been accused of bribing exam facilitators and coaches to beef up college applicants’ chances of being accepted into exclusive schools. Singer later cooperated with the FBI to help take down people who he had worked with.
Federal prosecutors said in a filing this week that Singer should get six years in prison, but his team has argued instead for a six-month sentence. Singer, who pleaded guilty in 2018, also ultimately could owe millions in restitution and back taxes.
“Singer was the architect of a massive, decade-long scheme to use fraud and bribery to secure the admission of high school students to elite colleges and universities across the country,” federal prosecutors wrote in the filing, calling Singer’s plot “breathtaking in its audacity.”
The feds gave credit to Singer’s willingness to cooperate with the investigation, leading to the convictions of more than 50 parents, including celebrities, but said he ultimately was the mastermind of the operation.
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