Parents hit with third indictment in college admissions scandal


Eleven of 15 parents charged in the college admissions scandal were hit with a third indictment Tuesday in Boston federal court. The parents, who plead not guilty in April, were charged with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery by bribing USC employees to gain their children admittance to USC as false athletic recruits. 

Eleven of 15 parents charged in the college admissions scandal were hit with a third indictment Tuesday in Boston federal court. The parents, who pleaded not guilty in April, were charged with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery by bribing USC employees to gain their children admittance to USC as false athletic recruits. 

Those charged include Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli, Gamal Abdelaziz, Diane and Todd Blake, Elisabeth Kimmell, William McGlashan Jr., Marci Palatella, John Wilson, Homayoun Zadeh and Robert Zangrillo.

Former USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel was also charged with conspiring to commit federal program bribery Tuesday along with two of the seven other athletic officials from other universities named in the college admissions case. She was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering in March.

Wilson, who is the CEO of a private equity firm and whose son was admitted as a water polo recruit in 2014 but withdrew from the team his first semester, was also charged with two accounts of substantive federal programs bribery because of his efforts to secure admission to Harvard and Stanford for his two daughters. He allegedly paid $220,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to USC and $1.5 million to facilitate his daughters’ admissions to Harvard and Stanford, according to documents from the FBI investigation.

Wilson, McGlashan Jr. and Zangrillo were additionally charged with wire fraud and honest services wire fraud for using bribery and other forms of fraud to obtain falsified standardized test scores and gain their children admission to elite colleges under false pretenses. McGlashan and Zangrillo each allegedly paid $250,000 to facilitate their children’s admittance to USC as a false football recruit and a false crew recruit, respectively. 

Zangrillo subpoenaed USC in July for records related to “special interest” applicants, applicants whose families donated more than $500,000, involved University personnel and records of communication involving his daughter. USC asked the judge to quash the subpoena in August.

The parents named in the college admissions case were initially charged on one account of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud in March. Out of the 33 parents named in the first indictment, 16 parents pleaded not guilty and were then additionally charged under a second indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering in April. 

Former Pimco executive Douglas Hodge and former California food executive Michelle Janavs, who both secured admission to USC for their children as fake athletic recruits, pleaded guilty Monday for fraud and money laundering following warning from federal prosecutors that there would be a third charge. Parents Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez also pleaded guilty Monday and were not charged.

Conspiracy to commit federal program bribery can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the resulting gain or loss. A person can be accused of federal program bribery for bribing an employee at an organization that receives at least $10,000 in funding from the federal government and receives something of $5,000 in value in return. 

USC did not respond to request for comment in time for publication.

Those charged include Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli, Gamal Abdelaziz, Diane and Todd Blake, Elisabeth Kimmell, William McGlashan, Jr., Marci Palatella, John Wilson, Homayoun Zadeh and Robert Zangrillo.

Former USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel was also charged with conspiring to commit federal program bribery Tuesday along with two of the seven other athletic officials from other universities named in the college admissions case. She was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering in March.

Wilson, who is the CEO of a private equity firm and whose son was admitted as a water polo recruit in 2014 but withdrew from the team his first semester, was also charged with two accounts of substantive federal programs bribery because of his efforts to secure admission to Harvard and Stanford universities for his two daughters. He allegedly paid $220,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to USC and $1.5 million to facilitate his daughters’ admissions to Harvard and Stanford.

Wilson, McGlashan and Zangrillo were additionally charged with wire fraud and honest services wire fraud for using bribery and other forms of fraud to obtain falsified standardized test scores and gain their children admission to elite colleges under false pretenses. McGlashan and Zangrillo each allegedly paid $250,000 to facilitate their childrens’ admittance to USC as a false football recruit and a false crew recruit, respectively.

Zangrillo subpoenaed USC in August for records related to “special interest” applicants, applicants whose families donated more than $500,000, involved University personnel and records of communication involving his daughter. USC asked the judge to quash the subpoena in September.

The parents named in the college admissions case were initially charged on one account of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud in March. Out of the 33 parents named in the first indictment, 16 parents did not choose to plead guilty and were then additionally charged under a second indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering in April. 

Former Pimco executive Douglas Hodge and former California food executive Michelle Janavs, who both secured admission to USC for their children as fake athletic recruits, pleaded guilty Monday for fraud and money laundering following warning from federal prosecutors that there would be a third charge. Parents Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez also pleaded guilty Monday and were not charged.

Conspiracy to commit federal program bribery can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the resulting gain or loss. A person can be accused of federal program bribery for bribing an employee at an organization that receives at least $10,000 in funding from the federal government and receives something of $5,000 in value in return. 

USC did not respond to request for comment in time for publication.