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Parents Who Fought Admissions Scandal Charges Are Sentenced

VOA Student Union

   The high-profile faces of a college admissions scandal -- a Hollywood
   actorand her fashion designer husband -- have been sentenced to two and
   five months, respectively, in prison after pleading guilty of bribing
   their daughters' way into prestigious schools.

   Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced after a judge
   accepted their [1]plea deal in federal court via videoconferencing
   because of the coronavirus pandemic.

   U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton also sentenced Loughlin to
   two years of supervised release, during which time she must complete
   100 hours of community service, and she must pay a fine of $150,000.
   Giannulli was also sentenced to two years of supervised release, during
   which time he must complete 250 hours of community service, and he was
   fined $250,000, according to a Justice Department release.

     Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli sentenced to prison in
     [2]#CollegeAdmissionsScandal [3]https://t.co/Ev5Io4Z1sf
     -- U.S. Attorney MA (@DMAnews1) [4]August 21, 2020

   The pair and several other rich and famous parents were caught in a
   scheme in which parents paid huge sums to a middleman to get their
   children into colleges and universities on fabricated sports abilities,
   like rowing, tennis and water polo.

   The universities included Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, Northwestern and
   the University of Southern California.

   The case broke in March 2019 when the Justice Department identified 33
   parents accused of paying to have the admissions documents of their
   sons and daughters fixed, such as having standardized tests taken for
   the student or faking test results to show exemplary scores.

   The multilevel, yearslong scam uncovered by the Justice Department
   reflected a desire expressed worldwide: to be educated at the best
   American institutions.

   William "Rick" Singer of Newport Beach, California, who pleaded guilty
   of orchestrating the scam and was named as a cooperating witness,
   earned more than $25 million by connecting parents and their children
   with test administrators and college coaches who took their cut for
   endorsing bogus applicants, the Justice Department said.

   Other coaches involved in the scandal pleaded guilty and cooperated
   with the Justice Department as well.

   Xiaoning Sui, 48, of British Columbia, Canada, was sentenced to five
   months' time served and ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 in addition
   to forfeiting the $400,000 she paid to Singer. Sui paid to help gain
   her son's entry to the University of California-Los Angeles, according
   to the Justice Department.

References

   1. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/california-couple-college-admissions-case-sentenced-prison
   2. https://twitter.com/hashtag/CollegeAdmissionsScandal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://t.co/Ev5Io4Z1sf
   4. https://twitter.com/DMAnews1/status/1296890545416089600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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