US federal prosecutors have charged nearly 50 people including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin in a scam where the wealthy paid to have their children admitted to elite schools.
US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling told a press conference in Boston on Tuesday that the case was “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted,” saying those charged collaborated to send students to top tier US universities with bribe.
The alleged scheme involved helping students cheat on entrance exams, as well as getting non-athletic students admitted on fake athletic scholarships. Elite schools Yale, Stanford and Georgetown were among the destination universities.
As per the reports, Huffman made a “charitable contribution” of $15,000 to participate in the scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter. She allegedly arranged to use the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so. Huffman was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She was secretly recorded discussing the scheme with a co-operating witness. Huffman appeared in a Los Angeles court later on Tuesday and was released on $250,000 bail. The judge ordered the actress to restrict her travel to the continental US.
Also read: Celebrities among several charged in ‘largest college admissions scam’ in US
On the other hand, actress Lori Loughlin, best known for starring in the US sitcom Full House, was among those indicted. She has not yet been taken into custody.
Reportedly Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli – who was also indicted – “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits” to the University of Southern California (USC) rowing team, the documents said. Both their daughters are currently studying at USC.
