News
College Admission Scandal – Celebrities, Business Leaders Charged in Massive Scheme
On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, the United States Department of Justice announced the indictment of and charges against dozens of high profile individuals in an admissions fraud scheme involving the purchase of access to the nation’s top universities.
Based on our experience in federal bribery matters and our review of the charging documents and allegations in these cases, it will be interesting to see if the involvement of Cooperating Witnesses 1, 2, and 3 establishes a viable entrapment defense.
We will keep you updated.
Below are portions of the DOJ press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme
Investigations of College Admissions and Testing Bribery Scheme
Dozens of individuals involved in a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits were arrested by federal agents in multiple states and charged in documents unsealed on March 12, 2019, in federal court in Boston. Athletic coaches from Yale, Stanford, USC, Wake Forest and Georgetown, among others, are implicated, as well as parents and exam administrators.
Below is a list of the defendants. The charging documents are attached at the bottom of this page.
| Charged by Information | |||
| Defendant | Charges | Case Status | U.S. District Court |
| William Rick SINGER Docket 19-CR-10078- RWZ | Racketeering conspiracy; money laundering conspiracy; conspiracy to defraud US; obstruction of justice | The defendant pled guilty to all counts on 3/12/2019, Sentencing is scheduled for June 19th, 2019 at 2:00 PM in courtroom 12 before Judge Zobel. The defendant has been released on a $500,000 unsecured bond. | District of Massachusetts |
| Rudolph “Rudy” MEREDITH Docket 19-CR-10075- MLW | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud; honest services wire fraud | Initial Appearance set for 3/28/2019 12:30 PM in Courtroom 24 before Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley | District of Massachusetts |
| Mark RIDDELL 19-CR-10074-NMG | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering | Waiver of Indictment and Plea to Information hearing set for 4/12/2019 02:30 PM in Courtroom 4 before Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton | District of Massachusetts |
| John VANDEMOER Docket: 19-cr-10079-RWZ | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | The defendant pled guilty to all counts on 3/12/2019, Sentencing is scheduled for June 12th, 2019 at 2:00 PM in courtroom 12 before Judge Zobel. The defendant has been released on personal recognizance. | District of Massachusetts |
| Charged by Indictment | |||
| Defendant | Charges | Case Status | U.S. District Court |
| Igor DVORSKIY 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Gordon ERNST 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | District of Maryland | |
| William FERGUSON 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Western District of North Carolina | |
| Martin FOX 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Southern District of Texas | |
| Donna HEINEL 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Laura JANKE 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Ali KHOSROSHAHIN 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Steven MASERA 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Eastern District of California | |
| Jorge SALCEDO 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Mikaela SANFORD 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Eastern District of California | |
| David SIDOO 19-CR-10080- NMG | Conspracy to commit mail and wire fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Jovan VAVIC 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Central District of California | |
| Niki WILLIAMS 19-CR-10081- IT | Conspiracy to commit racketeering | Southern District of Texas | |
Charged by Complaint | |||
| Defendant | Charges | Case Status | U.S. District Court |
| Gregory ABBOTT 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Southern District of New York | |
| Marcia ABBOTT 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Southern District of New York | |
| Gamal ABDELAZIZ 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | District of Nevada | |
| Diane BLAKE 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Todd BLAKE 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Jane BUCKINGHAM 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Gordon CAPLAN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | District of Connecticut | |
| Michael CENTER 19-mj-06065-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Initial Appearance in this district set for 3/25/2019 03:15 PM in Courtroom 24 before Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley | District of Massachusetts |
| I-Hsin “Joey” CHEN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Amy COLBURN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Gregory COLBURN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Robert FLAXMAN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Mossimo GIANNULLI 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Elizabeth HENRIQUEZ 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Manuel HENRIQUEZ 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Douglas HODGE 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Felicity HUFFMAN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Agustin HUNEEUS, Jr. 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Bruce ISACKSON 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Davina ISACKSON 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Michelle JANAVS 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Elisabeth KIMMEL 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | District of Nevada | |
| Marjorie KLAPPER 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Lori LOUGHLIN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Toby MACFARLANE 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Southern District of California | |
| William McGLASHAN 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Marci PALATELLA 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Peter Jan SARTORIO 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Northern District of California | |
| Stephen SEMPREVIVO 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Devin SLOANE 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| John WILSON 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Southern District of Texas | |
| Homayoun ZADEH 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Central District of California | |
| Robert ZANGRILLO 19-mj-06087-MPK | Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud | Southern District of Florida | |
Found in Fraud.