Though Huffman was among the most high-profile figures indicted, the $15,000 she parted with was among the smallest sums allegedly paid by any of the other parents charged in the scandal, according to court documents.<doc-sep>BOSTON – Actress Felicity Huffman fought back tears as she pleaded guilty in Boston federal court Monday afternoon to charges in the nation's largest college admissions scandal, becoming the highest-profile defendant to admit to crimes in the blockbuster case. The former "Desperate Housewives" actress admitted to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying Rick Singer, the nationwide scheme's alleged mastermind, $15,000 to have someone correct SAT answers for her oldest daughter. As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors recommended Huffman receive a four-month prison term, substantially lower than the maximum 20 years the charges carry. A sentencing hearing for the star was set for Sept. 13. Huffman stood and raised her right hand in the courtroom, replying, "Yes, your honor," when asked by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani if she understood the terms of her plea deal. The judge accepted the agreement after going over its ramifications, reminding Huffman that she would waive her right to a trial by jury, the ability to appeal the judge's decision and other rights such as possessing a firearm. Huffman, 56, became emotional immediately before her guilty plea when discussing how her daughter has seen a neuropsychiatrist since the age of 11. She said issues related to her therapy explained why her daughter needed an extra day to take the SAT. Some parents in the sweeping admissions case have been accused of having their children fake disabilities to get approved for extra test time to facilitate cheating. “I just didn’t want to create the impression that the neuropsychiatrist had anything to do with this," Huffman said, struggling to finish her sentence. She said that just like her daughter, the neuropsychiatrist had no knowledge of her involvement. One of her attorneys, Martin Murphy, put his arm around Huffman to console her. Huffman and her legal team did not answer questions as she exited the courthouse in front of a large swarm of reporters. At the same hearing, Devin Sloane, a CEO of a water systems company in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to paying $250,000 in bribes to Singer to falsely designate his son as a water polo player so he could gain acceptance to the University of Southern California. Given the greater dollar amount than Huffman's case, prosecutors recommended 15 to 21 months of prison time for Sloane. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen told the judge the government recommended four months in jail, the low end of sentence guidelines, in exchange for Huffman not appealing. The judge responded: "There is a trade here. They've given up something. I will accept the plea waiver." In addition, the government recommended that she receive 12 months of supervised release and pay a $20,000 financial penalty, as well as an undetermined amount of restitution and forfeiture. The actress arrived at federal court about two hours before her scheduled hearing with her brother, Moore Huffman Jr., tightly clasping her hand as she walked to the front door alongside a metal barricade that separated her from media members. Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? Click this link on your mobile device to get started Actress Lori Loughlin, the other celebrity indicted by the Justice Department, has pleaded not guilty to the same charges and money laundering. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying $500,000 to Singer for their daughters to be classified as athletic recruits to get them accepted into the University of Southern California. The couple has a hearing June 3. DAD PLEADS GUILTY: Paid $400K to get 'tennis player' son into Georgetown Huffman and Sloane are the fourth and fifth parents to plead guilty in the "Varsity Blues" case. An additional nine parents agreed to plead guilty and have plea hearings in the coming weeks. Rosen went over the evidence against Huffman in court Monday. Prosecutors said Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, who is not charged in the case, met with Singer at the couple's Los Angeles home before her daughter's SAT exam in December 2017 to discuss how the scheme operated. Over the course of months beginning in the summer of 2017, according to prosecutors, Huffman and Singer exchanged emails in which they discussed how to double the length of test time allotted to her daughter. Rosen recounted in court how Huffman wrote “Ruh Ro!" in an email to Singer when her daughter's school said it wanted to provide its own test proctor. He said they were able to change the venue so she could take the SAT at a center operated by Igor Dvorskiy, who is accused of being involved in the scheme. Prosecutors said Mark Riddell, who pleaded guilty to secretly taking tests for students or changing their answers, flew from Tampa, Florida, to Los Angeles on Dec. 2, 2017, to proctor Huffman's daughter's exam at the West Hollywood Test Center. He flew back the next day. Huffman, choking up in court, said that she had no knowledge that Singer paid Riddell and Dvorskiy. "But everything else that Mr. Rosen said I did, I did." More:Mark Riddell, test-taker ace in college admissions cheating case, pleads guilty in court Huffman's daughter received a 1420 out of 1600 on the test, approximately 400 points higher than she earned on her PSAT taken one year earlier without Singer's assistance. Two weeks after the SAT, Singer – through his sham nonprofit Key Worldwide Foundation – paid Dvorskiy $40,000 for administering the SAT to Huffman's daughter and three other students, according to prosecutors. On Dec. 27, 2017, Singer allegedly paid Riddell $35,000. Prosecutors said Huffman and Macy wrote a $15,000 check to Singer's nonprofit group Feb. 27, 2018. The next month, a note from a Singer associate thanked them for the donation and falsely said it would "allow us to move forward with our plans to provide educational and self-enrichment programs to disadvantaged youth.” Later that year, according to the Justice Department's complaint, Huffman inquired about arranging the same cheating scheme for her younger daughter. Although she did not follow through with the plan, prosecutors pointed to a series of phone conversations from October 2018 to this February in which Huffman, and in some cases Macy, discuss the prior arrangement with Singer, who by this point was cooperating with the FBI. On Nov. 12, 2018, Huffman told Singer she wanted to move ahead with carrying out the plan for her younger daughter but probably only after she first took the exam without cheating, according to a transcript of the phone call that's included in the complaint. Huffman spoke to Singer by phone as recently as one month before she and 49 others were charged in the sweeping conspiracy case. In that conversation, she asked Singer whether he thought a dramatic increase in her younger daughter's score would raise suspicion from her SAT tutor. Singer told her not to worry, but Huffman backed out, prosecutors said. Last month, Huffman publicly apologized for her actions, saying she was in "deep regret and shame over what I have done" and accepted "full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions." She said her daughter "knew absolutely nothing" about her actions. More:Lori Loughlin, husband Mossimo Giannulli plead not guilty in college admissions scam More:Felicity Huffman pleads guilty in college admissions cheating scam; 'I am ashamed,' she says<doc-sep>Share this Story: Felicity Huffman pleads guilty in college admissions scandal, faces months behind bars Felicity Huffman pleads guilty in college admissions scandal, faces months behind bars The charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines can bring that number down significantly for parents who acknowledge their crime, have a clean record and meet other criteria Photo by Steven Senne/AP photo Article content Felicity Huffman faces months behind bars after the TV star pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme in the U.S. college admissions scandal, admitting she paid $15,000 to cheat on her eldest daughter’s entrance exam. Huffman, who issued a pained apology last month, wept as she discussed her daughter’s learning disability with U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. Prosecutors have said some parents falsely claimed their children needed extra time on the test as part of the scheme to boost their scores. In court Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen said they weren’t making such a claim about Huffman. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Felicity Huffman pleads guilty in college admissions scandal, faces months behind bars Back to video Huffman, 56, told Talwani: “We have been working with a neuropsychiatrist since my daughter was eight years old. She, like my daughter, didn’t know anything about this.” Just before Huffman’s appearance, Devin Sloane, 53, a Los Angeles-based water-services executive, pleaded guilty. Five parents have now entered guilty pleas in the biggest college admissions scam the U.S. has ever prosecuted. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “Do you understand, then, that I may impose a sentence more severe than you anticipated?” Talwani told Huffman and Sloane in turn. “Yes, your honor,” both responded. Criminal Bookends Like all 14 parents who have agreed to plead guilty, Huffman and Sloane are charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest-services mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines can bring that number down significantly for parents who acknowledge their crime, have a clean record and meet other criteria. At least eight other parents are scheduled to plead guilty next week. Huffman, who became famous starring in the eight-season ABC series “Desperate Housewives,” and Sloane make an odd pair of criminal bookends. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The star, with her A-list actor husband, William H. Macy of the Showtime series “Shameless,” allegedly paid ringleader William “Rick” Singer one of the smallest sums in the $25 million admissions-cheating ring. Sloane, the founder of the drinking- and waste-water company AquaTecture LLC, was accused of paying Singer $250,000 to get his son into the University of Southern California as an international water polo player, when his school didn’t even have a team. The evidence against Sloane includes what may be one of the most remarkable of the email conversations Singer had with clients, or the telephone calls he secretly recorded for the FBI before agreeing to plead guilty in return for leniency. ‘It’s Outrageous!’ Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content When a guidance counselor at the high school Sloane’s son attended asked how the boy had been accepted as a water polo player, Sloane grew indignant at the question, according to an April 2018 email he sent Singer. “The more I think about this, it is outrageous!” he wrote Singer. “They have no business or legal right considering all the students privacy issues to be calling and challenging/question [my son’s] application.” A false athletic biography for Sloane’s son, allegedly drafted by a USC staffer, boasted he spent summers playing for the “Italian Junior National Team” and played in tournaments in Greece, Serbia and Portugal. “He is small but he has a long torso but short strong legs plus he is fast which helps him win the draws to start play after goals are scored,” it read, according to court documents. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The endorsement was written by Donna Heinel, USC’s former senior associate athletic director, according to court documents. In exchange, Sloane wrote a $50,000 check to USC Women’s Athletics, prosecutors say. Plea Deals When a USC official asked Sloane why he’d made the donation, Sloane bragged to Singer, he claimed it was to honor his late mother, an Olympic athlete he said had inspired his son’s interest in women’s athletics, according to a transcript. Heinel has pleaded not guilty. Huffman arrived at court without Macy, who isn’t accused of wrongdoing — although prosecutors said in a criminal complaint that the couple participated in the scheme together, making the payment in the guise of a donation “to provide educational and self-enrichment programs to disadvantaged youth.” In a plea deal worked out just weeks after she was charged in March, prosecutors said they’re recommending Huffman serve four to 10 months in prison. Her lawyers said they’ll argue she should serve as little as no time at all and at most six months, since her payments didn’t exceed $15,000. Under Sloane’s plea deal, the government agreed to recommend 12 months. Huffman is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 13. Sloane will face the judge on Sept. 10. Share this article in your social network Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Shopping essentials Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NP Posted Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>
BOSTON -- "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty Monday in the college admissions bribery scheme, the biggest name to do so in a scandal that has exposed the lengths to which some wealthy parents will go to get their children into top universities. The Emmy-winning actress, 56, could face prison time after she admitted to participating in the nationwide scam, in which authorities say parents bribed coaches, rigged entrance exams or both to game the admissions system. Huffman pleaded guilty in federal court to paying an admissions consultant $15,000 to have a proctor correct her older daughter's answers on the SAT. She also considered going through with the plan for her younger daughter before ultimately deciding not to, authorities say. The consultant, Rick Singer, arranged for the cheating by having students obtain permission for extra time on the exams through diagnoses for things like learning disabilities, and then taking the exams at his testing centre, prosecutors say. In court, Huffman explained her daughter had been seeing a neuropsychologist for years and getting extra time on tests since she was 11 -- an apparent attempt to explain that her daughter's doctor had no part in the scheme. "I just didn't want to create the impression that neuropsychologists have any part in this," a tearful Huffman said before stopping to collect herself. Sentencing was set for Sept. 13. Because she agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said they would recommend four months in prison, but the judge could also choose not to put her behind bars at all. She arrived at court holding the hand of her brother Moore Huffman Jr. and did not say anything to journalists. In court, she wore a grey dress and a sweater and sat flanked by her attorneys while her brother watched from the front row. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, didn't attend. Huffman had apologized in a statement last month and said she will accept the consequences. She said she "betrayed" her 18-year-old daughter, who was not aware of her plan. "This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty," Huffman said. Investigators have said Macy, 69, was with her when admissions consultant Rick Singer explained how he could arrange for the cheating because he "controlled" a test centre. Both Huffman and Macy agreed to the plan, authorities say, but Macy has not been charged. Prosecutors have not explained why. California businessman Devin Sloane also pleaded guilty Monday to paying $250,000 in bribes to get his son into the University of Southern California as a fake water polo recruit. Officials say he bought athletic gear online and worked with a designer to create a bogus photo of his son playing the sport for the application. Huffman and Sloane are among 14 parents who agreed to plead guilty in the biggest admissions scandal ever prosecuted in the U.S., known as "Operation Varsity Blues." The scandal involving prestigious schools across the country has also embroiled prominent college coaches. The parents are accused of paying Singer to bribe coaches in exchange for helping their children get into schools as fake athletic recruits. Singer also paid off entrance exam administrators to allow someone else to take tests for students or fix their answers, authorities say. Some parents and coaches who have agreed to plead guilty are co-operating with prosecutors against current or future co-defendants, but Huffman is not known to be among them. Singer has pleaded guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy. He began working with authorities last year and secretly recorded his conversations with actress Lori Loughlin, Huffman and other parents in the hopes of getting a lenient sentence. Some parents have decided to fight the charges, including Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, who have pleaded not guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits even though neither of them is a rower. Loughlin and Giannulli, who are also charged with money laundering conspiracy, have not publicly commented on the allegations. Huffman was a star of the popular ABC series "Desperate Housewives," which won her an Emmy Award in 2005. She was nominated for an Oscar for playing a transgender woman in the movie "Transamerica." Experts differ on whether Huffman's swift acceptance of responsibility will leave her with an acting career.