Federal Prosecutors in Boston charged 50 people on Tuesday, including Full House Actress Lori Loughlin, Actress Felicity Huffman, and others in the largest college admissions cheating scam ever prosecuted in United States history.
Authorities named the operation “Varsity Blues”, say they uncovered 33 parents that were described by US Attorney Andrew Lelling as “A Catalog of Wealth and Privilege” who collectively paid $25 Million to a college admissions counselor named William Singer.
Singer plead guilty and agreed to cooperate in the investigation into what Lelling says is “Widening corruption of elite college admissions.”
“Today’s arrest should be a warning to others,” the FBI’s Joseph Bonavolonta said. “You can’t pay to play. You can’t cheat to get ahead, because you will get caught.”
Officials say 13 people were arrested by the FBI in Los Angeles and that 38 of the 50 defendants charged are under arrest and in custody. Seven are working towards surrender, while one in Hawaii is actively being pursued. Huffman was arrested at her home, while Loughlin is in Canada and is not yet in custody. Authorities have been in contact with her, and she is reportedly aware there is a warrant for her arrest upon her return to the U.S.
The documents say that Loughlin and her husband “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.”
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