Among the many shocking allegations revealed by federal prosecutors in the college cheating scandal earlier this month, the one that stands out the most is somebody paid $6.5 million to get his or her children into elite schools, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Making this case stand out even more is the identity of the parent, as well as which schools were involved, remains a mystery nearly two weeks after authorities in Boston filed the charges against dozens of other wealthy individuals in which the public has been provided with plenty of details.
The massive payment is also an indicator there is apparently much more to be revealed in the case that has shaken American universities and placed a negative spotlight on the college admissions process.
Wealthy parents are accused of paying college fixer William "Rick" Singer, who reportedly has more than 700 clients, to help their children cheat on university entrance exams and to falsify athletic records of students to enable them to get admission to elite schools.
Fraud once referred to a scheme to obtain money from someone through a false promise, but in 1988 Congress expanded the anti-fraud law with a one-line amendment that made it a crime to deprive someone of the "intangible right of honest services."
Prosecutors are alleging in this scandal that parents deprived universities of their property – a slot in the school – by deception.
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