Prosecutors allege dozens of parents, test administrators and college coaches were involved in a widespread effort to rig the college admissions process for children whose parents were willing to pay bribes. The indictments filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts include hundreds of pages of allegations, implicating more than 50 people in two sets of schemes: standardized test cheating and college acceptance bribery.
Below is a summary compiled by CBS News of the allegations against each person — including some prominent business people and famous actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
The indictment repeatedly refers to two confidential witnesses (CW-1 and CW-2) who were implicated in the scheme. One of them, referred to as CW-1, operated a college admissions business called The Key, as well as its nonprofit arm, The Key Worldwide Foundation. On Tuesday, the founder of The Key, William Singer, entered a guilty plea to racketeering conspiracy and money laundering charges.
The second, CW-2, is described in the indictment as the director of college entrance exam preparation at a private school and sports academy in Bradenton, Florida. The indictment says he has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering. On Wednesday, Mark Riddell, who matched that description, said in a press release that he is “profoundly sorry” for his role in the scandal.
CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman told “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday these parents could be facing “serious time” in prison. “We’re dealing with mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit these crimes,” Klieman said.
Here is a list of every parent charged in the indictment and what they are accused of doing.
Charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud
Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, founder and chairman of International Dispensing Corp., a food and beverage packaging company. Abbott and his wife are alleged to have paid $50,000 to Key Worldwide Foundation in return for CW-1 and CW-2 proctoring their daughter’s ACT exam and correcting her answers as she completed it. Their daughter received a 35 out of 36 on the exam. The Abbotts are alleged to have paid $75,000 to have CW-2 take the SAT for their daughter, where she received a score of 800 out of a possible 800 on the math subject test and a score of 710 on the literature subject test.
Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, wife of Gregory Abbott, is facing the same charges.
Gamal “Aziz” Abdelaziz, 62, of Las Vegas, former president and executive director of Wynn Macau resort. Abdelaziz is accused of bribing Donna Heinel, the senior associate athletic director at USC, to designate his daughter as a recruit to the USC basketball team in order to get her admitted to the university. He is accused of paying Key Worldwide Foundation $300,000 and paying $20,000 per month directly to Heinel.
Diane Blake, 55, of San Francisco, an executive at retail merchandising firm. Diane Blake and her husband are accused of bribing USC’s Heinel to facilitate their daughter’s admission to the school as a purported volleyball recruit.
Todd Blake, 53, of San Francisco, an entrepreneur and investor. Todd is Diane’s husband. Todd is accused of mailing a $50,000 check to USC’s Women’s Athletics. Blake allegedly wired $200,000 to Key Worldwide Foundation in 2018.
Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., CEO of a boutique marketing company Trendera, which has offices in New York and Los Angeles. Buckingham is alleged to have made a $50,000 donation to Key Worldwide Foundation, and it is alleged that the money went toward a false proctor who took the ACT on her son’s behalf, scoring a 35 out of 36, after Buckingham falsely deemed her son had a learning disability.
Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Conn., attorney and co-chair of the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which has hundreds of attorneys in six countries. He reportedly has been placed on leave. Caplan is alleged to have paid Key Worldwide Foundation $75,000 to have CW-1 and CW-2 purport to proctor his daughter’s ACT exam and correct the answers as she completed it.
I-Hin “Joey” Chen, 64, of Newport Beach, Calif., operates a provider of warehousing and related services for the shipping industry. Chen is alleged to have paid $75,000 to The Key to have CW-1 and CW-2 purport to proctor his son’s ACT exam and correct his answers. Chen’s son scored a 33 out of a possible 36 on the exam.
Amy Colburn, 59, of Palo Alto, Calif. Amy is the wife of Greg Colburn. The Colburns allegedly participated in the college entrance exam on behalf of their son. Their son allegedly took the SAT with CW-2 as the purported proctor.
Gregory Colburn, 61, of Palo Alto, Calif. In December 2017 Gregory Colbun allegedly transferred $24,443.50 worth of stock to Key Worldwide Foundation.
Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., founder and CEO of real estate development firm Crown Realty & Development. Flaxman allegedly participated in the college entrance exam scheme and the college recruitment scheme. Flaxman allegedly wired two payment of $120,000 each to Key Worldwide Foundation in 2016 to get his son into University of San Diego. Flaxman allegedly paid Key Worldwide Foundation $75,000 to have his daughter cheat on the ACT exam with CW-2.
Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, of Atherton, Calif. She is the wife of Manuel Henriquez.
Manuel Henriquez, 55, of Atherton, Calif., founder, chairman and CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital. On Wednesday he stepped aside as CEO of the company. The Henriquezes are alleged to have participated in cheating on college entrance exams on behalf of their two daughters four separate occasions and to have bribed Gordon Ernst, the head tennis coach at Georgetown to designate their older daughter a top tennis athlete to help her get into Georgetown. On May 4, 2016 the Henriquez Family Trust is alleged to have made a $400,000 contribution to Key Worldwide Foundation.
Douglas Hodge, 61, of Laguna Beach, Calif., former CEO of Pimco investment management company. Hodge is accused of using bribery to facilitate the admission of two of his children into USC as purported athletic recruits. Hodge allegedly paid Key Worldwide Foundation $450,000 to facilitate the cheating and false athletic resumes.
Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, actress. Huffman is accused of having paid Key Worldwide Foundation $15,000 to participate in a college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her oldest daughter. Her daughter scored a 1420 on her SAT that was proctored by CW-2, an improvement of 400 points over her PSAT, taken without CW-2 one year earlier.
Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, owner of a family wine vineyard in Napa Valley. Huneeus is accused of participating in both the college entrance cheating scheme and the college recruitment scheme for his daughter, that including bribing USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and Jovan Vavic, the USC water polo coach. This includes an alleged $50,000 payment to Key Worldwide Foundation.
Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, Calif. Davina is the wife of Bruce Isackson.
Bruce Isackson, 61, of Hillsborough, Calif., president of a real estate development firm. Isackson and his wife are accused of participating in both the college entrance cheating scheme and the college recruitment scheme for their older daughter as a soccer player at UCLA. The Isackson’s are alleged to have paid Key Worldwide Foundation in 2016 by transferring 2,150 shares of Facebook Inc. stock, having an approximate value of $251,249, and transferring $249,420 worth of stock shares to Key Worldwide Foundation in 2018 on behalf of an admissions scheme to benefit their younger daughter.
Michelle Janavs, 48, of Newport Coast, Calif., former executive of a large food manufacturer. Janavs is accused of participating in the college entrance exam scheme and the athletic recruitment scheme, conspiring to use bribery to have her daughter admitted into USC as a beach volleyball recruit. Janavs allegedly paid the Key Worldwide Foundation $50,000 in 2017 and an additional $25,000 in 2019 to have her daughter’s ACT test improperly proctored by CW-2.
Elisabeth Kimmel, 54, of Las Vegas, owner and president of a media company. Kimmel is accused of participating in the college recruitment scheme by bribing officials to have her daughter admitted as a tennis recruit at Georgetown and her son as a track recruit at USC. Her family foundation is accused of donating over $450,000 to Key Worldwide Foundation.
Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., co-owner of jewelry business. Klapper is accused of having paid Key Worldwide Foundation $15,000 to participate in a college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her son.
Lori Loughlin, 54, of Los Angeles, actress. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannullo, are accused of paying bribes totaling $500,000 to have their two daughters designated as recruits to USC’s crew team in order to get them admitted into the school. Loughlin posted $1 million bond Wednesday.
Mossimo Giannulli, 55, of Los Angeles, fashion designer. Giannullo is the husband of Lori Loughlin. Giannulli reportedly put up $1 million bail Wednesday.
Toby MacFarlane, 56, of Del Mar, Calif., former senior executive at a title insurance company. MacFarlane is accused of participating in the college recruitment scheme by bribing officials at USC to accept his daughter as a purported soccer recruit and his son as a purported basketball recruit. MacFarlane allegedly paid The Key $200,000 in 2014 and Key Worldwide Foundation $250,000 in 2017.
William McGlashan Jr., 55, of Mill Valley, Calif., senior executive at TPG private equity firm. A spokesperson for the company said Wednesday that McGlashan is on indefinite administrative leave “as a result of the charges of personal misconduct against (him).” McGlashan is accused of making a $50,000 payment to Key Worldwide Foundation to have his son’s ACT exam scores “controlled.” He is also facing an accusation that he bribed Donna Heinel, USC’s senior athletic director, to have his son admitted to the school as a student athlete.
Marci Palatella, 63, of Healdsburg, Calif., CEO of a liquor distribution company. Palatella is accused of taking part in the college entrance exam scheme and the athletic recruitment scheme by conspiring to bribe USC’s Heinel to designate her son as a football team recruit in order to get him admitted into the school. Palatella is accused of paying Key Worldwide Foundation a total of $475,000 to facilitate the cheating on standardized tests and admission of her son to USC as a purported football player.
Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., packaged food entrepreneur. Sartorio is accused of paying CW-1 $15,000 cash to have CW-2 proctor his daughter’s ACT exam and correct her answers.
Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, executive at privately held provider of outsourced sales teams. Semprevivo is accused of bribing Ernst, the Georgetown tennis coach, to designate his son as a tennis recruit even though he did not play tennis competitively, in order to get him accepted into Georgetown. Semprevivo’s family trust issued a check to Key Worldwide Foundation in the amount of $400,000 in 2016.
Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, founder and CEO of provider of drinking and wastewater systems. Sloane is accused of bribing USC’s Heinel to designate his son as a recruit for USC’s water polo team in order to get him admitted and of allegedly paying Key Worldwide Foundation $200,000.
John Wilson, 59, of Hyannis Port, Mass., founder and CEO of private equity and real estate development firm. Wilson is accused of bribing officials at USC, Stanford and Harvard to facilitate admission of his son and two daughters to those three schools. Wilson’s company allegedly wired Key Worldwide Foundation $500,000 in 2018.
Homayoun Zadeh, 57, of Calabasas, Calif., an associate professor of dentistry. Zadeh is accused of bribing USC’s Heinel to designate his daughter as a lacrosse recruit, even though she did not play competitive lacrosse, in order to get her admitted into USC. Between May 2017 and September 2018, Zadeh allegedly paid Key Worldwide Foundation $55,000.
Robert Zangrillo, 52, of Miami, founder and CEO of Dragon Global. Zangrillo is accused of bribing athletic officials at USC to designate his daughter as an athletic recruit and having CW-1’s employee, Mikaela Sanford, take classes on behalf of his daughter. Zangrillo is accused of wiring $200,000 to one of Key Worldwide Foundation’s false charitable accounts.
Charged in connection with roles the scheme
William Rick Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., owner of the Edge College & Career Network and CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation. He entered a guilty plea Tuesday to racketeering conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Mark Riddell, 36, of Palmetto, Fla., was charged in an information with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment said he plans to plead guilty. Riddell, a Harvard graduate, was listed on the website of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as the director of college entrance exam preparation. In a statement March 13, he said, “I am profoundly sorry for the damage I have done and grief I have caused. … I understand how my actions contributed to a loss of trust in the college admissions process.”
Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 51, of Madison, Conn., former head women’s soccer coach at Yale University, was charged in an information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
John Vandemoer, 41, of Stanford, Calif., the former sailing coach at Stanford University, was charged in an information with racketeering conspiracy.
David Sidoo, 59, of Vancouver, Canada, was charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sidoo was arrested on Friday in San Jose, California, and appeared in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday. A date for his initial appearance in federal court in Boston has not been scheduled.
Charged with racketeering conspiracy
Igor Dvorskiy, 52, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., director of a private elementary and high school in Los Angeles and a test administrator for the College Board and ACT.
Gordon Ernst, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University.
William Ferguson, 48, of Winston-Salem, N.C., former women’s volleyball coach at Wake Forest University.
Martin Fox, 62, of Houston, president of a private tennis academy in Houston.
Donna Heinel, 57, of Long Beach, Calif., senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California.
Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, Calif., former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California.
Ali Khoroshahin, 49, of Fountain Valley, Calif., former head coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California.
Steven Masera, 69, of Folsom, Calif., accountant and financial officer for the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation.
Jorge Salcedo, 46, of Los Angeles, former head coach of men’s soccer at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Mikaela Sanford, 32, of Folsom, Calif., employee of the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation.
Jovan Vavic, 57, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., former water polo coach at the University of Southern California.
Niki Williams, 44, of Houston, assistant teacher at a Houston high school and test administrator for the College Board and ACT.
Charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud
Michael Center, 54, of Austin, Texas, head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin.
CBS News’ Graham Kates contributed reporting.
