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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 5 January 2023
College scam mastermind Rick Singer gets 3.5 years in prison

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER his life going forward to
Associated Press make a positive impact in
BOSTON (AP) — The mas- people’s lives.
termind of the nationwide “My moral compass was
college admissions bribery warped by the lessons my
scheme that ensnared ce- father taught me about
lebrities, prominent busi- competition. I embraced
nesspeople and other his belief that embellishing
parents who used their or even lying to win was ac-
wealth and privilege to buy ceptable as long as there
their kids’ way into top-tier was victory. I should have
schools was sentenced to 3 known better,” he said.
1/2 years in prison Wednes- Singer pleaded guilty in
day. 2019 on the same day
The punishment for Rick the massive case became
Singer, 62, is the longest public to charges includ-
sentence handed down ing racketeering conspir-
in the sprawling scandal acy and money launder-
that embarrassed some ing conspiracy. Dozens of
of the nation’s most presti- others ultimately pleaded
gious universities and put a guilty to charges, while two
spotlight on the secretive parents were convicted at
admissions system already trial.
seen as rigged in favor of Authorities in Boston began
the rich. William “Rick” Singer founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in investigating the scheme
Prosecutors had sought six Boston, on March 12, 2019. Associated Press after an executive under
years behind bars, noting scrutiny for an unrelated
Singer’s extensive coop- Lori Loughlin, her fashion movies,” Assistant U.S. At- great personal risk by wear- securities fraud scheme
eration that helped au- designer husband Mossimo torney Stephen Frank told ing a wire to record meet- told investigators that a
thorities unravel the entire Giannulli, and “Desper- the judge Wednesday. ings and “did whatever Yale soccer coach had of-
scheme. Singer began se- ate Housewives” star Felic- The prosecutor called was necessary” to assist the fered to help his daughter
cretly working with investi- ity Huffman. Coaches from Singer’s cooperation in the government in its investiga- get into the school in ex-
gators in 2018 and record- schools including Yale, case “unparalleled” but tion. Fields had requested change for cash.
ed hundreds of phone calls Stanford, Georgetown Uni- said it was also problem- three years of probation, or For years, Singer paid off
and meetings that helped versity and the University of atic, noting that Singer ad- if the judge deemed prison entrance exam adminis-
authorities build the case California, Los Angeles, ad- mitted to obstructing the time necessary, six months trators or proctors to inflate
against dozens of parents, mitted to accepting bribes. investigation by tipping off behind bars. students’ test scores and
athletic coaches and oth- “It was a scheme that was several of his clients who Singer apologized to his bribed coaches to desig-
ers arrested in March 2019. breathtaking in its scale were under government family, the schools he em- nate applicants as recruits
Those sent to prison for par- and its audacity. It has lit- scrutiny. barrassed in the public eye in order to to boost their
ticipating in the scheme erally become the stuff of Defense attorney Can- and others. He also prom- chances of getting into the
include “Full House” actor books and made-for-TV dice Fields said Singer took ised to work every day of school. q

Daughter of former U.S. intelligence director guilty of murder

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — The after a drunken argument the February 2020 death said. They argued twice ponte guilty of the most
daughter of former U.S. in- inside a Maryland home. of Yousuf Rasmussen, news that night and Rasmussen serious charge she faced,
telligence director John A Montgomery County jury outlets reported. She faces left. When Rasmussen re- first-degree, premeditated
Negroponte has been on Tuesday convicted So- up to 40 years in prison at turned to get his cellphone, murder, according to the
found guilty of fatally stab- phia Negroponte, 29, of sentencing on March 31. Negroponte “stabbed him Post.
bing a 24-year-old man second-degree murder in Sophia Negroponte was multiple times, one being But they convicted her of
one of five abandoned or a death blow that severed second-degree murder,
orphaned Honduran chil- his jugular,” McCarthy said. finding that she intend-
dren that John Negroponte Defense attorney David ed “to inflict such serious
and his wife adopted after Moyse had urged jurors bodily harm” to Rasmussen
Negroponte was appoint- to consider that Sophia “that death would be the
ed as U.S. ambassador Negroponte was so intoxi- likely result.”
to the Central American cated that night that she Montgomery County Cir-
country in the 1980s, ac- couldn’t form specific in- cuit Court Judge Terrence
cording to The Washington tent. J. McGann ordered her
Post. “Alcohol pervades this case bond revoked, noting that
Sophia Negroponte and from the start; it pervades Rasmussen was “taken
Rasmussen attended the her life,” he said, adding, from this earth, at a very
same Washington high “and it is absolutely at the young age with his whole
school and had been heart of what happened life ahead of him, in such a
drinking, along with anoth- there that night. And it’s horrific way.”
er person, on the night Ras- one of the major reasons After the verdict, John Ne-
This photo provided by the Montgomery County Police Dept. mussen was killed, Mont- that this is absolutely not a groponte, 83, said his family
shows Sophia Negroponte. gomery County State’s murder.” will discuss a possible ap-
Associated Press
Attorney John McCarthy Jurors did not find Negro- peal with their attorneys.q