Feds uncover large-scale college entrance exam cheating plot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH knows a few of the parents named who are in venture capital/ private equity. He says he isn’t surprised they did something so brazen but is surprised they were so stupid in how they did it, especially involving so many moving parts and people and relying on all of them to do their jobs, not get caught and not rat each other out. Like other posters have written there are legal ways to donate, etc.

I don't get why they went to these efforts. Is it just about bragging rights? If they're wealthy enough to bribe someone with 100's of thousands of dollars, they're wealthy enough to get their kid into a good school. Maybe not "the" school they want to brag about but a good enough of one and when their kid is out they'll just be working for their parents anyway so what does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Key Worldwide Tax Returns

For example, in 2016, Form 990 Schedule I lists "grants and other assistance to" among other places:

Chapman University $150,000
DePaul University $50,000
Loyola High School (in L.A.) $39,900
NYU Athletics $$83,181
Princeville Enterprises $100,000
Univ of Miami $60,000
Univ of Texas, Austin Athletics $252,500
USC Soccer $25K
USC Womens Athletic Board $50K

In 2015:
Baruch College $50K
Chapman Univ $175K
City of Houston $5508 (odd?)
DePaul Religious Studies Dept $50K
Loyola H.S. $37,970
NYU Athletics $51,200
Univ of Miami $40K
UT, Austin Athletics $294,000
USC Soccer $50K
USC Water Polo $75K
USC Women's Athletics Board $75K
USC Women's Volleyball $50K
Yale SummerTime Sports $250K

in 2014:
DePaul Religious Studies Dept $50K
Generation W (Jacksonville FL) $25K
NYU Athletics $203,998
USC Baseball $100K
USC Water Polo $100K
USC Womens Soccer $25K

[Anonymous]

City of Houston $5508 (odd?)

One of the bogus test-taking sites was in Houston, so probably rent for that site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH knows a few of the parents named who are in venture capital/ private equity. He says he isn’t surprised they did something so brazen but is surprised they were so stupid in how they did it, especially involving so many moving parts and people and relying on all of them to do their jobs, not get caught and not rat each other out. Like other posters have written there are legal ways to donate, etc.

I guess this is what blows my mind, that they didn't seem to think there was any way they'd ever be caught. I'm sure they'd do it all over again if they could.

I'm assuming that friends of theirs recommended Singer. Or used other "consultants" who did similar things (say, helped with cheating on the ACT or SAT by getting the kids a false LD diagnosis). So, in their world, this is normal or close to normal behavior.

[Anonymous]

How many people do you know personally in this list? Not one for me.

Anonymous wrote:This is the complete list -

Ringleaders -
William "Rick" Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, California, owner of the Edge College & Career Network and CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was charged in an information with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice.

Mark Riddell, 36, of Palmetto, Florida, was charged in an information with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.


Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 51, of Madison, Connecticut, the former head women’s soccer coach at Yale University, was charged in an information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud as well as honest services wire fraud.

John Vandemoer, 41, of Stanford, California, the former sailing coach at Stanford University, was charged in an information with racketeering conspiracy.

David Sidoo, 59, of Vancouver, British Columbia, was charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sidoo was arrested Friday in San Jose, California, and appeared in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday. A date for his initial appearance in federal court in Boston has not been scheduled. http://davidsidoo.com" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://davidsidoo.com


Michael Center, 54, of Austin, Texas, head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin, was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.


Coaches and school officials
The following were charged in an indictment with racketeering conspiracy:

Igor Dvorskiy, 52, of Sherman Oaks, California, director of a private elementary and high school in Los Angeles and a test administrator for the College Board and ACT.

Gordon Ernst, 52, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University.

William Ferguson, 48, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, former women’s volleyball coach at Wake Forest University.

Martin Fox, 62, of Houston, president of a private tennis academy in Houston.

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

Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, California, former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California.


Ali Khoroshahin, 49, of Fountain Valley, California, former head coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California.

Steven Masera, 69, of Folsom, California, accountant and financial officer for the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation.

Jorge Salcedo, 46, of Los Angeles, former head coach of men’s soccer at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Mikaela Sanford, 32, of Folsom, California, employee of the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation.

Jovan Vavic, 57, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, former water polo coach at the University of Southern California.

Niki Williams, 44, of Houston, assistant teacher at a Houston high school and test administrator for the College Board and ACT.


The parents
The following were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud:


Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, founder and chairman of International Dispensing Corp., a food and beverage packaging company.

Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York.

Gamal Abdelaziz, 62, of Las Vegas, the former senior executive of resort and casino operator of Wynn Macau resort in Macau, China.

Diane Blake, 55, of San Francisco, an executive at a retail merchandising firm.

Todd Blake, 53, of San Francisco, an entrepreneur and investor.

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, California, founder and CEO of Trendera boutique marketing company.

Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Connecticut, co-chairman of New York-based Willkie Farr & Gallagher, an international law firm.

I-Hin “Joey” Chen, 64, of Newport Beach, California, operates a provider of warehousing and related services for the shipping industry.

Amy Colburn, 59, of Palo Alto, California.

Gregory Colburn, 61, of Palo Alto, California.

Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, California, founder and CEO of real estate development firm Crown Realty & Development.

Mossimo Giannulli, 55, of Los Angeles, fashion designer and founder of Mossimo fashion company (also married to Lori Loughlin).

Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, of Atherton, California.

Manuel Henriquez, 55, of Atherton, California, founder, chairman and CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, a publicly traded specialty finance company.

Douglas Hodge, 61, of Laguna Beach, California, former CEO of investment management company Pacific Investment Management Co.

Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, actress.

Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, owner of wine vineyards in Napa Valley and listed as co-founder of the Quintessa vineyard estate.

Bruce Isackson, 61, of Hillsborough, California, president of a real estate development firm WP Investments.

Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, California.

Michelle Janavs, 48, of Newport Coast, California, former executive of a large food manufacturer.

Elisabeth Kimmel, 54, of Las Vegas, owner and president of First Busey, a media company.

Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, California, co-owner of jewelry business.

Lori Loughlin, 54, of Los Angeles, actress.

Toby MacFarlane, 56, of Del Mar, California, former senior executive at a title insurance company.

William McGlashan Jr., 55, of Mill Valley, California, senior executive at a global equity firm TPG Capital.

Marci Palatella, 63, of Healdsburg, California, CEO of a liquor distribution company.

Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, California, president and co-founder of Elena's Food Specialties.

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, executive at Cydcor, a privately held provider of outsourced sales teams.

Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, founder and CEO of aquaTECTURE LLC, a provider of drinking and wastewater systems.

John Wilson, 59, of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, founder and CEO of private equity and real estate development firm.

Homayoun Zadeh, 57, of Calabasas, California, an associate professor of dentistry.

Robert Zangrillo, 52, of Miami, founder and CEO of private investment firm Dragon Global.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH knows a few of the parents named who are in venture capital/ private equity. He says he isn’t surprised they did something so brazen but is surprised they were so stupid in how they did it, especially involving so many moving parts and people and relying on all of them to do their jobs, not get caught and not rat each other out. Like other posters have written there are legal ways to donate, etc.

The "legal" donations require much more than $250k to get your kid in.

And it’s not a guarantee. See Singer’s comments to the biglaw parent in the complaint regarding the “side door” that have been published all over the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Key Worldwide Tax Returns

For example, in 2016, Form 990 Schedule I lists "grants and other assistance to" among other places:

Chapman University $150,000
DePaul University $50,000
Loyola High School (in L.A.) $39,900
NYU Athletics $$83,181
Princeville Enterprises $100,000
Univ of Miami $60,000
Univ of Texas, Austin Athletics $252,500
USC Soccer $25K
USC Womens Athletic Board $50K

In 2015:
Baruch College $50K
Chapman Univ $175K
City of Houston $5508 (odd?)
DePaul Religious Studies Dept $50K
Loyola H.S. $37,970
NYU Athletics $51,200
Univ of Miami $40K
UT, Austin Athletics $294,000
USC Soccer $50K
USC Water Polo $75K
USC Women's Athletics Board $75K
USC Women's Volleyball $50K
Yale SummerTime Sports $250K

in 2014:
DePaul Religious Studies Dept $50K
Generation W (Jacksonville FL) $25K
NYU Athletics $203,998
USC Baseball $100K
USC Water Polo $100K
USC Womens Soccer $25K

Holy crap, Baruch College? My humble little NYC public? Does this mean they bribed someone to get their kids into a CUNY?

[Anonymous]

So basically, had these people not been greedy in giving the money as charitable donations to claim on their taxes, they may never have been caught?

This Singer guy could have just billed them all as a college consultant and no one would have been alerted to this, correct?

[Anonymous]

https://slate.com/technology/2006/05/taking-the-sat-untimed.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The accommodations scam needs to end. Kids who never needed before all of the sudden in 8th grade needed for the high school entry standardized tests. Total scam. Like therapy dogs.

But but, my transgender Haitian black kid with ADHD and processing issues has PTSD due to trauma so he really really needs some help.

Don't be a racist xenophobe antihuman pig, remember how holistic we all holistically are.

PP said the scams have to end. Not the real accommodations. The scammers are really hurting the kids who need it.

This. 50 some odd pages before anyone mentions this. This is going to hurt the kids who need those accommodations. I'm a mom of a child with disabilities who needs the accommodations. I hate that the fbi included the handwriting sample for the one kid in the affidavit. I know I shouldn't diagnose but it looks like dysgraphia to me. The kid probably has other disabilities as well. I'm not saying his mom derserves special treatment. I think including the writing sample was mean spirited. Some of the first posts on the thread were makig fun of the kid for his handwriting. My child has experienced so many nasty comments because of the dysgraphia. We've had to deal with teachers who ignored the iep and tried to punish child for handwriting. Ignorance about disabilities is prevalent and harmful. My child has extended time and did very well on college tests. My child is very bright but struggles in many ways due to child's disailities. My child needs the accommodations to even the playing field. What Singer and his cheating proctors and college coaches did is disgusting.

I am also parent of 2 kids, one with a disability that requires accommodations.

But I will defend the prosecutors on the handwriting issue. It was submitted so that the fake test taker could practice the kid's handwriting. It demonstrates the length the parent was willing to go.

If the kid needed accommodations, it would have been known before junior year in high school, and he would have been using them throughout school (like our kids). Instead, his mom took him to a compromised/bribed psychologist recommended by Singer to gin up a fake disability that would give them extra time, and permission to test alone which made the cheating possible.

This is doesn't add up. Once of my children had accommodations and there was a 3 year look back that had to be documented that accommodations had been used and were necessary. That couldn't have happened with a junior year report.

That's where the shady doc comes in. Falsified medical records and tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am really surprised at people being ‘surprised’ at SAT/ACT accommodations being manipulated. If you are wealthy, you have the money to buy a diagnosis.

x10000000

accommodations without a need don't boost test scores so it is a waste of time to manipulate accommodations, which is why people don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://slate.com/technology/2006/05/taking-the-sat-untimed.html

That's nearly 13 years old. Nothing more recent?

[Anonymous]

Lori Laughlin and spouse were particularly stupid considering their daughter already had a likely million dollar a year business as a social influencer. They would have been better off making her see a financial adviser and getting her investing like crazy so when she loses her looks or people stop caring about her, her money is earning money and she can live off investments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The accommodations scam needs to end. Kids who never needed before all of the sudden in 8th grade needed for the high school entry standardized tests. Total scam. Like therapy dogs.

But but, my transgender Haitian black kid with ADHD and processing issues has PTSD due to trauma so he really really needs some help.

Don't be a racist xenophobe antihuman pig, remember how holistic we all holistically are.

PP said the scams have to end. Not the real accommodations. The scammers are really hurting the kids who need it.

This. 50 some odd pages before anyone mentions this. This is going to hurt the kids who need those accommodations. I'm a mom of a child with disabilities who needs the accommodations. I hate that the fbi included the handwriting sample for the one kid in the affidavit. I know I shouldn't diagnose but it looks like dysgraphia to me. The kid probably has other disabilities as well. I'm not saying his mom derserves special treatment. I think including the writing sample was mean spirited. Some of the first posts on the thread were makig fun of the kid for his handwriting. My child has experienced so many nasty comments because of the dysgraphia. We've had to deal with teachers who ignored the iep and tried to punish child for handwriting. Ignorance about disabilities is prevalent and harmful. My child has extended time and did very well on college tests. My child is very bright but struggles in many ways due to child's disailities. My child needs the accommodations to even the playing field. What Singer and his cheating proctors and college coaches did is disgusting.

I am also parent of 2 kids, one with a disability that requires accommodations.

But I will defend the prosecutors on the handwriting issue. It was submitted so that the fake test taker could practice the kid's handwriting. It demonstrates the length the parent was willing to go.

If the kid needed accommodations, it would have been known before junior year in high school, and he would have been using them throughout school (like our kids). Instead, his mom took him to a compromised/bribed psychologist recommended by Singer to gin up a fake disability that would give them extra time, and permission to test alone which made the cheating possible.

This is doesn't add up. Once of my children had accommodations and there was a 3 year look back that had to be documented that accommodations had been used and were necessary. That couldn't have happened with a junior year report.

That's where the shady doc comes in. Falsified medical records and tests.

The 3-year look back verification doesn't come from doctors, shady or not. It is from the students middle/high schools.

Students who use extra time or another testing accommodation must do it in a separate location that is staffed by a proctor, or the classroom teacher must notify the counselor/special ed case manager that it was used. It is noted in the student's files when it was used, and for what subject.

I'm not saying every school is this disciplined with the record keeping, but they probably should be. It can be done with relatively little effort.

If a student consistently fails to use it, the 504 will not be renewed and the acommodations would be removed from the IEP at the annual meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lori Laughlin and spouse were particularly stupid considering their daughter already had a likely million dollar a year business as a social influencer. They would have been better off making her see a financial adviser and getting her investing like crazy so when she loses her looks or people stop caring about her, her money is earning money and she can live off investments.

Yep.