A former assistant coach at the University of Southern California (USC) and a former senior executive are the latest people to plead guilty to charges in connection with bribery and fraud relating to the college admissions scandal.
The charge of racketeering conspiracy attracts a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, while the charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said.
Prosecutors alleged that Singer emailed a high school transcript and college exam scores belonging to MacFarlane’s daughter to Janke in October 2013 and another defendant. Singer, through one of his purported charitable organizations, then allegedly wired $50,000 to a private soccer club controlled by Janke and the other defendant.
![William "Rick" Singer founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in Boston after he pleaded guilty to charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal on March 12, 2019. (Steven Senne/AP Photo)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F03%2F13%2FWilliam-22Rick22-Singer-600x451.jpeg&w=1200&q=75)
Janke was then accused of creating a falsified soccer profile for MacFarlane’s daughter, falsely describing her as a “US Club Soccer All American” in high school, and she was subsequently accepted to USC as a soccer recruit in March 2014.
Following his daughter’s acceptance, MacFarlane paid $200,000 to Edge College & Career Network LLC—a for-profit college counseling and preparing business that Singer ran—with “Real Estate Consulting & Analysis” written in the memo line. Singer then paid half of that payment to the soccer club Janke partly controlled.
A similar set of events occurred in 2016 to ensure MacFarlane’s son was admitted to USC, the Justice Department said. In November that year, Singer allegedly directed Janke to create a falsified basketball profile for the former executive’s son. Singer then allegedly emailed the profile to a USC administrator and MacFarlane’s son received a conditional acceptance as a student-athlete.
Several months later in 2017, MacFarlane sent a $50,000 check to USC Athletics, and the following month USC mailed MacFarlane’s son a formal acceptance letter. Then in April that year, MacFarlane sent a $200,000 check to Singer’s supposed charitable organization with “Real Estate Consulting” written in the memo line.
![Actress Felicity Huffman arrives holding hands with her brother Moore Huffman Jr. (L) at federal court in Boston to face charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal on April 3, 2019. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F04%2F04%2FFelicity-Huffman-and-Moore-Huffman-600x500.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Along with Janke and MacFarlane, several prominent defendants have pleaded guilty to the scam, including “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman.