UPDATED: Two Current USC Athletics Employees Indicted on Racketeering Conspiracy Charges
(Los Angeles, CA) — The University of Southern California is reviewing its admission process after the largest college cheating scam was unveiled today.
The two are alleged of receiving bribes totaling more than one-point-five million dollars. “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her husband allegedly agreed to pay 500-thousand dollars to bolster their two daughters’ chances of gaining admission to USC. In an e-mail, Loughlin allegedly agreed to keep the acceptance of her daughter and the scheme “hush hush.”
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Candace Gordon/jm CA) LAX) MA)
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03-12-2019 12:37:06
UPDATED: Former Georgetown Tennis Coach Named In Sweeping Indictment
(Washington, DC) — A former Georgetown University tennis coach is one of nearly 50 people facing charges in the largest college cheating scandal ever. Gordon Ernst, who is currently a tennis coach at the University of Rhode Island, is being charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. The indictment says the central figure of the scheme, William Singer, paid Ernst bribes totaling more than two-point-seven million dollars between 2012 and 2018. In exchange for the bribes, Ernst designated at least 12 applicants as recruits for the Georgetown tennis team, including some who did not play tennis competitively, to facilitate their admission into the elite university. Others facing charges in the scheme include actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, dozens of parents, college coaches and ACT and SAT administrators. Other coaches involved are or were employed at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Southern California.
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Joseph Guzman/jm WDC) MD) VA) RI)
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03-12-2019 11:04:02
UPDATED: Widespread College Cheating Scheme
(Boston, MA) — The FBI and federal prosecutors say they are charging nearly 50 people in the largest college cheating scandal ever. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said at least 33 parents, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, super-rich CEOs and two SAT or ACT exam administrators, and nine coaches at elite schools, are among those facing charges in what’s being dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.” The current and former coaches are from Yale, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest and Texas. Loughlin and her husband allegedly paid 500-thousand-dollars in bribes. Lelling said all of the parents knew their kids were cheating on the ACT and/or SAT entrance tests or creating bogus sports profiles to get to the college through a sports team. He said this was a case of rich and privileged people cheating the system at the expense of parents and kids playing by the rules.
California businessman William Singer was the alleged ringleader of the operation. Feds say he collected 25-million-dollars in bribes. Beyond the SAT and ACT scam, parents paid Singer the money that he then used to bribe coaches and administrators to designate their children as recruited athletes for schools. Selling said Singer will plead guilty to racketeering charges today. Selling added parents paid Singer between 15-and-75-grand to have someone either take the exam for their children or to correct their child’s answers afterward.
Lelling said parents had photoshopped their kids’ faces onto actual athletes’ bodies to submit pictures to schools in order to gain admission. Yale’s soccer coach is accused by the FBI of taking a 400-thousand-dollar bribe to accept a student with no soccer background.
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John McDade/jas CA) MA) LAX) TX) WDC) LAX) WDC)
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03-12-2019 09:51:08
UPDATED: Widespread College Cheating Scheme
(Boston, MA) — The FBI and federal prosecutors say they are charging at least 50 people in the largest college cheating scandal ever prosecuted in the U.S.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said the indictments in the “Operation Vasrity Blues” include current and former D-1 coaches at Yale, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest and Texas. Among the parents including actresses Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives and Full House star Lori Loughlin are among those facing charges. Lelling said all of the parents knew their kids were cheating on the ACT and or SAT entrance tests or creating false sports credentials. The brunt of the scheme was aimed at bribing coaches and directors at the prestigious universities so the children would be admitted on athletic scholarships.
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John McDade/jas CA) MA) LAX) TX) WDC) LAX)
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03-12-2019 08:45:06
UPDATED: Widespread College Cheating Scheme
(Boston, MA) — The FBI and federal prosecutors say they are charging at least 50 people in the largest college cheating scandal ever. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said the indictments include current and former D-1 coaches at Yale, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest and Texas. At least 33 parents, including actresses Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives and Full House star Lori Loughlin, are among those facing charges. Lelling said all of the parents knew their kids were cheating on the ACT and/or SAT entrance tests. The brunt of the scheme was aimed at bribing coaches and directors at the prestigious universities so the children would be admitted on athletic scholarships.
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John McDade/jas CA) MA) LAX) TX) WDC) LAX)
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03-12-2019 08:44:06
UPDATED: Actresses Accused of Paying To Get Kids Into Prestigious Colleges
(Boston, MA) — The FBI and federal prosecutors are charging some Hollywood actresses and possibly CEOs in a widespread college entrance and recruitment cheating scheme.
The indictments are against nearly 50 people, including current and former D-1 coaches at Yale, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest and Texas. Actresses Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives and Full House star Lori Loughlin are among those involved facing charges. The brunt of the scheme was aimed at bribing coaches and directors at the prestigious universities so the children would be admitted on athletic scholarships.
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John McDade/Candace Gordon CA)
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03-12-2019 08:34:05
UPDATED: NBC: Feds To Charge Celebs, Others In Widespread College Cheating Scheme
(Undated) — The FBI and federal prosecutors are charging some Hollywood actresses and possibly CEOs in a widespread college entrance and recruitment cheating scheme. NBC News reports the indictments are against nearly 50 people, including current and former D-1 coaches at Yale, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest and Texas. Actresses Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives and Full House star Lori Loughlin are among those involved facing charges.
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John McDade/jas CA) MA) LAX) TX) WDC)
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03-12-2019 07:54:02
NBC: Feds To Charge Celebe, Others In Widespread College Cheating Scheme
(Undated) — NBC News reports the FBI and federal prosecutors are charging some Hollywood actresses and possibly CEOs in a widespread college entrance exam cheating scheme.
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John McDade/jas
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03-12-2019 07:48:02
