Singer William ‘Rick’ Wiki – Singer William ‘Rick’ Biography

William “Rick” Singer, 62, the mastermind behind a decade-long college admissions scam, was sentenced Wednesday, January 4, in Boston federal court to 3.5 years in prison.

This marks the end of Operation Varsity Blues, after hundreds of wealthy parents and celebrities ended up behind bars for the rigged higher education admissions system. Singer was sentenced by federal judge Rya Zobel in Boston, Massachusetts, to three years of supervised release and forfeiture of more than $10 million.

Singer William ‘Rick’ Age

Age of William “Rick” Singer is 62 years now.

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Singer William ‘Rick’ Charged with racketeering conspiracy and money laundering

According to the FBI, Singer, 62, pleaded guilty in March 2019 to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and other scandal-related charges. He cooperated with the government investigation and used a wire for the FBI.

As part of the operation, bribes were paid, entrance exams were rigged, and false claims were made by unqualified applicants to enter the schools as elite recruits. In his testimony, Singer said that he was ashamed of what he had done and previously believed that “lying to win was acceptable because of victory,” according to NBC News.

“I lost my ethical values and I regret it so much,” he told the judge. “To be frank, I’m ashamed of myself.” “I have learned to use my strong self-discipline to become an honest and legitimate person,” Singer said, adding that he “can and will be” a law-abiding citizen.

Singer secretly cooperated with federal authorities to turn in wealthy parents and celebrities whose children he helped get into top schools with fake test scores and fake sports credentials. More than 50 parents, coaches and administrators were arrested in March 2019 as a result of recording hundreds of phone calls and meetings he conducted with police and the FBI.

Actress Lori Loughlin, her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Felicity Huffman were arrested.

While the defense attorney requested three years of probation or a maximum of six months in jail, prosecutors sought a six-year sentence. The behavior in the Operation Varsity Blues case was described by US Attorney Rachael S Rollins as “something out of a Hollywood movie”.

Rollins spoke about her disbelief at the scale of the incident during a press conference after the verdict was announced. “I, like millions of lower-middle-class working families, have been through this process,” Rollins said. “I was never foolish enough to believe it was a meritocracy, but I had no idea how corrupt and infected the admissions process was until this case exposed it all. Any parent or guardian who has experienced the admissions process to the college should be angry.”

According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta, Singer “sold a little more to the young workers” with each bribe given on behalf of wealthy families. “Everyone arrested, charged and convicted to date is integral to the success of the scheme, but without Rick Singer, it never would have made it,” Bonavolonta said.

Mr. Singer was a former basketball coach turned college counselor who knew the intricacies of athletic recruiting. By bribing university sports authorities, he managed to get students to enter through a “side door” instead of the regular main admissions entrance. He selected low-key sports with little regulation.

Singer’s sentence is the harshest term imposed in the massive scandal that humiliated some of the country’s most prestigious universities and drew attention to an opaque admissions process, already believed to be skewed in favor of the wealthy.

According to the prosecution, Singer received more than $25 million from his clients, spent more than $15 million of his money on himself, and paid more than $7 million in bribes. Singer claimed in a letter included with his defense sentencing document Thursday that Operation Varsity Blues was the reason he now lives in a trailer park and has been unable to find employment despite more than 1,000 attempts. .

“For most of my life, if not all, I have thrived on winning at all costs,” he wrote. “My moral compass was broken, and more and more, choosing good over evil became less important than doing whatever it took to be recognized as the ‘best.’”

He claimed that by being caught, he has been given “the opportunity for insight, atonement and redemption.” According to court documents, Singer has already paid $1,213,000 of the $3.4 million in forfeited money. He is expected to report to prison on February 27.Read More…..