New York: Actress Felicity Huffman and a dozen other parents agreed Monday to plead guilty to charges of bribery to get their children into prestigious universities.
Huffman, 56, best known for her role in the ‘Desperate Housewives’ series, agreed to plead guilty to paying $15,000 to help her eldest daughter get better scores on the SAT college entrance exam, the Massachusetts Department of Justice said in a statement. However, her equally famous husband, actor William H. Macy of ‘Fargo’ fame, was not charged in connection with the college admissions scandal.
Huffman could face a maximum of up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud but is not expected to receive such a stiff sentence.
The Massachusetts Department of Justice said that in addition to Huffman, another dozen parents charged in the case had also agreed to plead guilty.
The ‘Boston Globe’ reported that as part of a plea agreement, Huffman’s sentencing guidelines would be between four to 10 months in prison and prosecutors would recommend she serve the ‘low end’ of that scale. The newspaper also published a statement from Huffman in which she apologised for her actions.
“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said. “I want to apologise to them and, especially, I want to apologise to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. “My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty,” added Huffman.
Another television actress, Lori Loughlin, known for her role on ‘Full House’, has also been charged in the case but did not enter a plea Monday. Loughlin and her husband are accused of paying $500,000 in 2016 and 2017 so that their two daughters could gain entrance into the University of Southern California by posing as members of the rowing team.
The actresses were the most famous of the 50 people indicted in a scam to help children of the American elite gain entry into top US colleges.
The ringleader behind the scam, William ‘Rick’ Singer, who authorities say was paid about $25 million dollars to bribe coaches and university administrators, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities.
AFP