The final parent involved in Operation Varsity Blues – the riveting nationwide college admissions bribery scandal – has agreed to plead guilty, federal prosecutors said.
Authorities said I-Hsin “Joey” Chen, 67, of Newport Beach, Calif., Paid $ 75,000 to have someone correct his son’s answers on a college entrance exam. The US Attorney’s Office in Boston said Thursday the owner of a shipping company will plead guilty to wire fraud and honest service in exchange for a nine-week prison term.
The terms of the deal also stipulate that Chen should serve a year on probation, do 100 hours of community service, and pay a $ 75,000 fine, prosecutors said.
Chen paid $ 75,000 to William “Rick” Singer, a college admissions advisor and ringleader on the program, to bribe a test administrator to allow a supervisor to modify his son’s ACT exam answers and improve his score, prosecutors said.
Singer, the Trial Administrator, and the Overseer have all pleaded guilty to their roles and are awaiting conviction.
Dozens of famous and wealthy parents were involved in the plot, including actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who paid large bribes to help their unworthy children gain admission to elite universities in the United States with manipulated test results or falsified athletic performance.
Chen will be the 38th and final parent to either plead guilty or found guilty in the case, which has also ensnared several college coaches and sports administrators, prosecutors said.
Chen’s trial was scheduled for January 13th. A date for the court hearing, which requires the approval of the court, has not been set.
Associated press
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