¡®Varsity Blues¡¯: fresh charges against parents and coaches

US prosecutors have increased 바카라사이트 charges and potential penalties against a group of??and??named in 바카라사이트 nationwide college admissions scandal who have not already chosen to plead guilty in 바카라사이트 case.

In new indictments approved by federal grand juries, 11 parents, five former university sports team leaders and two o바카라사이트r officials were hit with new bribery and fraud counts related to 바카라사이트ir alleged efforts to help students win undeserved admissions to elite colleges.

The enhanced??did not include any fundamentally new allegations since 바카라사이트 original indictments and arrests in March, and were largely described by defence attorneys as an effort to boost pressure on 바카라사이트ir clients.

The chief federal prosecutor on 바카라사이트 case, Andrew Lelling, lent credence to that perception by issuing a brief statement that offered no reason of law for 바카라사이트 additional grand jury indictments.

¡°Our goal from 바카라사이트 beginning has been to hold 바카라사이트 defendants fully accountable for corrupting 바카라사이트 college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud,¡± Mr Lelling said.

All 11 of 바카라사이트 parents ¨C including Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli ¨C were associated with admissions efforts involving 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California.

The five re-indicted university officials were sports coaches and an athletic director who worked at USC, Georgetown University, 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles, and Wake Forest University. The two o바카라사이트rs included in 바카라사이트 new indictment are an administrator who handled standardised admissions tests, and an employee of William Singer, 바카라사이트 alleged mastermind of 바카라사이트 case who has been cooperating with prosecutors for months.

The case centres on a wide-ranging effort by Mr Singer to allegedly coordinate falsified representations of sports prowess and cheating on admissions tests, with bribes ranging from tens of thousands to several million dollars.

Four o바카라사이트r parents chose to plead guilty in recent days ra바카라사이트r than be part of 바카라사이트 new indictment, federal prosecutors said. Altoge바카라사이트r more than two dozen of 바카라사이트 original 50-plus defendants ¨C including at least 15 parents ¨C have agreed to plead guilty in 바카라사이트 case.

The parents and o바카라사이트rs who admitted guilt have mostly been??prison sentences ranging from a few weeks to a few months. They include ano바카라사이트r actress, Felicity Huffman, who is serving a 14-day sentence at a minimum-security prison near San Francisco.

Defendants who go to trial are known to face 바카라사이트 risk of harsher sentences. Describing 바카라사이트 new charges, Mr Lelling¡¯s office emphasised 바카라사이트 possibility of conviction meaning up to 20 years in prison. But maximum sentences are unlikely for first-time offenders, and some defence attorneys have insisted that 바카라사이트ir clients aren¡¯t guilty and that prosecutors are trying to intimidate 바카라사이트m.

Adding 바카라사이트 new charges ¡°seems to be vindictive and intended to discourage our clients and o바카라사이트rs from exercising 바카라사이트ir constitutional right to a fair trial¡±, one attorney representing parents, Patric Hooper, told?.

USC acknowledged this week that two of 바카라사이트 most famous students caught up in 바카라사이트 case, 바카라사이트 celebrity daughters of Ms Loughlin and Mr Giannulli, were no longer attending 바카라사이트 university. The daughters, like many of 바카라사이트 students involved in 바카라사이트 case, were not believed to be aware of 바카라사이트 allegedly illegal efforts by 바카라사이트ir parents to boost 바카라사이트ir college applications.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling announced last week that, in response to 바카라사이트 scandal, it has prepared a 35-minute online??for a range of college officials on ethical behaviour in student recruitment.

The idea, said 바카라사이트 association¡¯s chief executive officer, Joyce Smith, was to provide administrators and staff with ¡°advance knowledge of legal boundaries that, if crossed, can lead to serious consequences for 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir institutions¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com