Operation Varsity Blues: Wealthy parents, Hollywood Actresses, Fashion Designer, Coaches, Charged for Admission Fraud

Hollywood Actresses, Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, along with Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli were among the 50 people that has been charged in what is being called the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted. These wealthy parents, Hollywood actresses, coaches and college prep executives have been accused of carrying out a nationwide fraud to get students into prestigious universities and they allegedly paid William Rick Singer and his company The Key to take the test on behalf of students or to correct their answers.

William Rick Singer

The organization allegedly bribed college coaches to help admit the students into college as recruited athletes, regardless of their abilities, prosecutors said.

Federal agents secretly recorded telephone calls with the desperate housewife star, Huffman and a cooperating witness, which allegedly showed Huffman agreeing to pay the sum of money in order to help Sofia get a higher SAT score, according to the indictment.

Felicty Huffman with family

According to Andrew Lelling, the US attorney for Massachusetts; two SAT/ACT administrators, one exam proctor, nine coaches at elite schools, one college administrator and 33 parents has been arrested. Some parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 per test to help their children get a better score, prosecutors said. In some cases, parents allegedly took part in Singer's scheme to bribe college coaches and athletic officials.

Lori Loughlin  with daughters

The charges: Loughlin and her husband allegedly agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 to have their two daughters designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team. But neither of Loughlin's daughters ever competed in crew, a complaint states. Instead, the parents sent photos of each of their daughters on a rowing machine.

Loughlin is scheduled to appear in court on March 29 in Boston.

Others allegedly involved in the scam include Gamal Abdelaziz, a senior executive of a resort and casino operator; Douglas Hodge, a former CEO of Pimco; Agustin Huneeus, owner of a vineyard; and William E. McGlashan Jr., a senior executive at TPG — one of the world’s biggest private equity firms, among others.