Felicity Huffman sentenced to 14 days in prison in college admissions scandal
Felicity Huffman, the first parent to be sentenced in the college admissions scandal, has just received two weeks in prison.
The former Desperate Housewives star Friday was sentenced to 14 days of prison time after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, BuzzFeed News' Julia Reinstein reports. She was also hit with a $30,000 fine and will need to perform 250 hours of community service with a year of supervised release.
Huffman was one of more than 30 parents charged earlier this year in what prosecutors described as the largest college admissions scam to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice, and she has admitted she paid $15,000 to have her daughter's SAT corrected. Prosecutors recommended Huffman serve a month in jail, while her lawyers asked for one year of probation.
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"I am deeply ashamed of what I've done," Huffman said in court Friday. "I take full responsibility for my actions. I will deserve whatever punishment you give me."
Prosecutors say Huffman made her $15,000 payment to a purported charity operated by consultant William Singer, who has also pleaded guilty to multiple charges including racketeering and money laundering. Huffman's husband, actor William H. Macy, was not charged in the case.
Previously, the first person sentenced in the scandal, a Stanford University head sailing coach who allegedly took bribes to falsely list students as sailing recruits, received no prison time.
Following Huffman's sentencing, all eyes are on Lori Loughlin, the other high-profile actress charged in the scandal. Unlike Huffman, Loughlin, who is accused of paying $500,000 to get her daughters admitted to college by falsely designated them as recruits for a sport they don't play, has pleaded not guilty.
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