Octopus Overlords

Hollywood actors, including Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, and a slew of chief executives are among 50 people charged in a nationwide college admissions cheating scam, according to court records unsealed in Boston Tuesday.

Those indicted allegedly paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into elite colleges, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.

"Beginning in or about 2011, and continuing through the present, the defendants -- principally individuals whose high-school age children were applying to college -- conspired with others to use bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate their children's admission to colleges and universities in the District of Massachusetts and elsewhere, including Yale University, Stanford University, the University of Texas, the University of Southern California, and the University of Southern California -- Los Angeles," the indictment said.

In most cases the students did not know their admission was contingent on a bribe, officials said.

The 200 pages of charging documents in the case were unsealed in Boston federal court.

According to the charging papers, Huffman "made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 ... to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter."

"Huffman later made arrangements to pursue the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so," the documents allege.

Federal agents secretly recorded telephone calls with Huffman and a cooperating witness, according to the court papers.

The documents say actress Lori Loughlin -- best known for her role as Aunt Becky on the ABC sitcom "Full House" -- and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, "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."

Prosecutors said the scheme was masterminded by William Rick Singer, the founder of a for-profit college preparation business based in Newport Beach, California.

Parents paid Singer between $15,000 and $75,000 per test for someone else to take the SAT or ACT exams in place of their college-aged sons or daughters, according to the court papers.

Singer facilitated the cheating by advising students to seek "extended time on the exams, including by having their children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain medical documentation that ACT," the indictment says.

Prosecutors said Singer used the cash to bribe two people who administered the exams — Igor Dvorsiky, of Los Angeles, and Lisa "Niki" Williams, of Houston.

Dvorsiky and Williams, in exchange for receiving the payments, allowed Mark Riddell, a Florida man hired by Singer, to secretly take the tests or to replace the children’s answers with his own, according to the indictment.

Riddell was paid roughly $10,000 per test, money that was often funneled through a charity account set up by Singer, the indictment says.

From 2011 to last month, parents paid Singer roughly $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators to "designate their children as recruited athletes, or other favored admissions categories," according to the court papers.

In some cases, Singer’s associates created fake athletic “profiles” in an effort to improve the students chances of getting accepted by making them appear to be highly successful high school athletes.

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:57 am What's odd is that none of the headlines mention William H. Macy, who is married to Huffman and is also implicated.

He's easily the biggest name involved here.

Huffman and husband William H. Macy are alleged to have given a "charitable donation of $15,000" to participate in the scheme on behalf of their oldest daughter. Macy, however, is not listed in federal documents as among those hit with a charge.

A witness met with Huffman and her husband, William H. Macy, at their Los Angeles home and explained the scam to them. The cooperator told investigators that Huffman and her spouse "agreed to the plan."

"Ultimately, Huffman's daughter received a score of 1420 in the SAT, an improvement of approximately 400 points over her PSAT," the complaint reads.
...
Others implicated include owners of a media company, vineyard, private equity firm, real estate development firm and a physician.

John Wilson, of Lynnfield, who owns a private equity and real estate development firm, is suspected of bribing the USC water polo coach to designate his son as a recruit to the USC men's water polo team.

"Wilson also sought to use bribes to to obtain the admission of his two daughters to Stanford University and Harvard University as recruited athletes," the complaint reads.
...
Singer is expected to plead guilty Tuesday in federal court.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:03 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:57 am What's odd is that none of the headlines mention William H. Macy, who is married to Huffman and is also implicated.

He's easily the biggest name involved here.

Huffman and husband William H. Macy are alleged to have given a "charitable donation of $15,000" to participate in the scheme on behalf of their oldest daughter. Macy, however, is not listed in federal documents as among those hit with a charge.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:50 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:22 pm WCVB

"Ultimately, Huffman's daughter received a score of 1420 in the SAT, an improvement of approximately 400 points over her PSAT," the complaint reads.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:12 pm How about last week?

Among those charged are Douglas Hodge, a former CEO of Pimco investment management company; William McGlashan Jr., a senior executive at TPG Capital; Agustin Huneeus, head of the Huneeus vineyard in Napa Valley; and Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of international law firm Willkie Farr.

Also charged were:
— Manuel Henriquez, chairman and CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, whose stock price fell more than 9 percent Tuesday afternoon;

— Robert Flaxman, founder and CEO of real estate development firm Crown Realty & Development, which says it has a portfolio value over nearly $600 million for properties primarily in California, Arizona, Virginia, Idaho and North Carolina;

— Robert Zangrillo, CEO of Dragon Global, an investment company. Dragon Global’s website says its funds have managed investments of more than $1 billion in companies that now have over $500 billion market value, including Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Jet.com and Ulta.
...
Lori Loughlin, who appeared in ABC’s “Full House,” were charged, along with Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli, founder of the American fashion company Mossimo. William Singer, CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was identified by authorities as the ringleader of the scheme.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:33 pm CNBC

Among those charged are Douglas Hodge, a former CEO of Pimco investment management company; William McGlashan Jr., a senior executive at TPG Capital; Agustin Huneeus, head of the Huneeus vineyard in Napa Valley; and Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of international law firm Willkie Farr.

Also charged were:
— Manuel Henriquez, chairman and CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, whose stock price fell more than 9 percent Tuesday afternoon;

— Robert Flaxman, founder and CEO of real estate development firm Crown Realty & Development, which says it has a portfolio value over nearly $600 million for properties primarily in California, Arizona, Virginia, Idaho and North Carolina;

— Robert Zangrillo, CEO of Dragon Global, an investment company. Dragon Global’s website says its funds have managed investments of more than $1 billion in companies that now have over $500 billion market value, including Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Jet.com and Ulta.
...
Lori Loughlin, who appeared in ABC’s “Full House,” were charged, along with Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli, founder of the American fashion company Mossimo. William Singer, CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was identified by authorities as the ringleader of the scheme.

Detailed list at the link.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:52 pm This is just going to be the Citizens United of college admissions. Why should the government get involved with independent expenditures to communicate intentions? $100 bills attached to college applications are people, my friend!

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:33 pm CNBC

Among those charged are Douglas Hodge, a former CEO of Pimco investment management company; William McGlashan Jr., a senior executive at TPG Capital; Agustin Huneeus, head of the Huneeus vineyard in Napa Valley; and Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of international law firm Willkie Farr.

Also charged were:
— Manuel Henriquez, chairman and CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, whose stock price fell more than 9 percent Tuesday afternoon;

— Robert Flaxman, founder and CEO of real estate development firm Crown Realty & Development, which says it has a portfolio value over nearly $600 million for properties primarily in California, Arizona, Virginia, Idaho and North Carolina;

— Robert Zangrillo, CEO of Dragon Global, an investment company. Dragon Global’s website says its funds have managed investments of more than $1 billion in companies that now have over $500 billion market value, including Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Jet.com and Ulta.
...
Lori Loughlin, who appeared in ABC’s “Full House,” were charged, along with Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli, founder of the American fashion company Mossimo. William Singer, CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was identified by authorities as the ringleader of the scheme.

Detailed list at the link.

Donna Heinel, 57, of Long Beach, Calif., senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California.

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:56 pmFrom looking at the link, USC is going to be in deep doo-doo. Multiple coaches and this:

stessier wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:37 pmI know you're joking, but there are very strong and clear anti-bribery statutes.