Currently, fifteen parents have been sentenced in the “Varsity Blue” college admissions scandal. I’ve noticed two coaches who have been sentenced.
Following is a list of the sentencing results for those individuals. I’ve published this list before. Will continue to post updates as more sentences are handed down.
The status listed at the Bureau of Prison’s inmate locator database is added for all of those sentenced.
Previous sentencing
Non-parent #2- 3/2/20 – Michael Center, tennis coach at UT Austin – Six months in prison, $60,000 fine, and one year supervised release. The coach accepted bribes of $60K personally and $40K to the tennis program in return for helping a student who didn’t play tennis get admitted as a tennis athlete. Parent paid $631,564 to the organizer of this whole scheme in return for the faked admission. Name of parent is not mentioned in this article.
3/12/20 status – Inmate 28214-480 is listed at the Bureau of Prison’s website as not in custody.
#15 – 2/26/20 – Michelle Janavs – Five months in prison, $250,000 fine, and two years supervised release. She paid $100K to fix ACT answers for two children, $50K to a USC coach, and was arrested before paying a remaining balance of $150K. Prosecutors requested 21 months.
The judge was going to sentence her to 12 months but gave her a 7 month discount because of her charitable work. She draws $100,000 a month from the family trust funded by the entrepreneurial efforts of her father (inventor of “Hot Pockets” sandwiches). Giving away some portion of her inherited wealth got her a reduced sentence.
3/11/20 status – Inmate 77816-112 is not in custody.
#14 – 2/7/20 – Douglas Hodge – Nine months in prison, $750,000 fine. 500 hours of community service. Paid $850,000 to get four of his seven children into college. Two went to Georgetown as fake tennis players, two to USC, one as pretend soccer player and another as fake football player. He was working to get a fifth child into Loyola Marymount for which the feds claim he offered to pay $200K for admission to Loyola Marymount, which claim Mr. Hodge denied. Has been buying his kids way into college since 2008.
Update: WSJ article says judge was going to issue a 12 month sentence but reduced it to 9 months because of his previous philanthropic efforts.
2/26/20 – Not yet listed at Bureau of Prison’s website.
3/12/20 – Inmate 01457-138 is not in custody.
#13 – 11/14/19 – Toby MacFarlane – Six months in prison, $150,000 fine, 200 hours community service, and two years supervised release. He paid $450K to get a son and daughter into USC claiming them to be athletes. He paid $200K for each child to the consultant running the scheme and paid $50K to the USC athletics program.
Article says this sentence is above the guidelines. This is the longest sentence yet in the admissions scandal. Judge Nathaniel Gorton labeled Mr. MacFarlane a “thief” in the hearing.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 74173-298. Confined at Tucson US Penitentiary, which is a high security prison with adjacent minimum security satellite camp. I’ll guess he is in the minimum security area. Expected release date 6/30/20.
#12 – 10/31/19 – Jeffrey Bizzack -Two months in prison, $250,000 fine, 300 hours community service, and three years supervised release. He paid $250K to get his son into USC as a volleyball player even though he did not play the sport competitively.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 01694-138, confined at Mendota FCI, medium security FCI with adjacent minimum security satellite camp, with expected release date 3/1/20, so I’ll guess he is out 2/28/20.
3/11/20 status – Released on 2/28/20.
#11 – 10/23/19 – Jane Buckingham – Three weeks in prison, $40,000 fine, and one year supervised release. She only paid $35K of the agreed $50K to fix her son’s ACT before the feds stopped the whole scheme. This is the last parent with a plea deal sentenced by Judge Talwani.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 77810-112, released on 11/27/19.
#10 – 10/19/19 – Robert Flaxman – One month in prison, $40,000 fine, and one year supervised release. He paid $75K to fix his daughter’s ACT score.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 77805-112, released on 12/23/19.
#9 – 10/16/19 – Marjorie Klapper – Three weeks in prison, $9,500 fine, 250 hours community service, one year supervised release. She paid $15k have her son’s ACT answers corrected. Prosecutors claim, and she denies, falsely listing him as a minority on school applications.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 25454-11, released on 12/20/19.
#8 – 10/11/19 – Peter Jan Sartorio – One year probation, $9,500 fine, 250 hours community service. He paid $15k for getting a faked ACT score. Article says that is a tie for the smallest under-the-table payment of any of the parents. Judge cut him slack because he didn’t try to hide the payment as a tax deduction and quickly admitted to his action.
2/26/20 status – with only probation, he is not listed at the Bureau of Prisons website.
#6 and #7 – 10/8/19 – Gregory Abbott and Marcia Abbott – One month in prison for each, with $45,000 fine each and 250 hours community service each. They pleaded guilty to paying $125K to improve SAT and ACT test scores.
2/26/20 status – Husband – inmate 86702-054, released on 1/28/20; Wife – inmate 45201-013, released on 12/6/19. Their sentences did not overlap.
#5 – 10/4/19 – Agustin Huneeus Jr – Sentenced to 5 months in jail, $100,000 fine, 500 hours community service. He paid $100K for both the test score faking and buying admission as a stellar athlete instead of average. Article says he gave advice to the guy running the scheme on how to make it better.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 25453-111, confined at Atwater USP, high security penitentiary with adjacent minimum security satellite camp, with expected release date of 4/2/20.
#4 – 10/3/19 – Gordon Caplan – Sentenced to 1 month in jail, 1 year supervised release, $50,000 fine, and 250 hours community service. He paid $75k to have his daughter’s ACT test corrected. Judge continues to distinguish between those who bought test results versus those who paid bribes and submitted falsified applications. There is difference between test cheating and faking athletic status. He is scheduled to report to prison on November 6.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 86703-054, released on 11/22/19.
#3 – 9/27/19 – Stephen Semprevivo – Sentenced to 4 months in jail, 2 years supervised release, 500 hours community service, $100,000 fine, possible restitution to Georgetown. He allegedly paid $400,000 to the fake charity, which in turn allegedly paid the Georgetown tennis coach. Plan was to present the son as a competitive tennis player.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 77828-112, confined at Lompoc USP, medium security penitentiary with adjacent minimum security satellite camp, with expected release date 3/4/20.
3/12/20 status – Released on 3/4/20.
#2 – 9/25/19 – Devin Sloane – Sentenced to 4 months in jail, 2 years supervised release, 500 hours community service, and $95,000 fine. He paid $250,000 to get his non-water-polo-playing son into USC as a water polo player. Was accused of paying $200K to the charity run by the guy behind the whole scheme and another $50K allegedly to a former athletic director at USC
2/26/20 status – Inmate 778150-112, confined at Lompoc USP, medium security penitentiary with adjacent minimum security satellite camp, with expected release date 4/1/20.
Parent #1 – 9/13/19 – Felicity Huffman – Sentenced to 14 days in jail, one year supervised release, 250 hours community service and $30,000 fine. Prosecutors asked for 30 days, one year supervised release, and $20K fine.
2/26/20 status – Inmate 778060112, released on 10/25/19.
Nonparent – 7/9/19 – Stanford sailing coach – Sentenced to 1 day in jail, 6 months house detention, 2 years supervised release, and $10K fine. Described as the least severe of the cases since the coach didn’t receive any money directly and only one student was admitted.