FILE - William "Rick" Singer founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in Boston, on March 12, 2019. The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scandal is set to be sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, after helping authorities secure the convictions of a slew of wealthy parents involved in his scheme to rig the selection process at top-tier schools. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
William Singer, Rick Singer
BOSTON (AP) — The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared celebrities, prominent businesspeople and other parents has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Rick Singer’s punishment is the longest sentence handed down in the sprawling scandal that exploded into newspapers headlines in 2019. Singer pleaded guilty nearly four years ago to paying off entrance exam administrators and coaches to get often undeserving students into elite schools with inflated test scores and bogus athletic credentials. He also helped authorities build the case against dozens of others by secretly recording phone calls and meetings with wealthy parents who paid huge sums to get their kids into the school of their choice.
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