First parent sentenced: Huffman gets 14 days

BOSTON» “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman was sentenced Friday to 14 days in prison for paying $15,000 to rig her daughter’s SAT scores, tearfully apologizing to the teenager for not trusting her to get into college on her own.

“I was frightened. I was stupid, and I was so wrong,” Huffman, 56, said as she became the first parent sentenced in a college admissions scandal that ensnared dozens of wealthy and mothers and fathers.

The scandal exposed the lengths to which parents will go to get their children into the “right” schools and reinforced suspicions that the college admissions process is slanted toward the rich. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani noted the outrage the case has generated, adding that it “isn’t because people discovered that it isn’t a true meritocracy out there.” The outrage, she said, was because Huffman took steps “to get one more advantage” in a system “already so distorted by money and privilege.”

Prosecutors had sought a month in prison for Huffman, while her lawyers said she should get probation.

A total of 51 people have been charged in the biggest college admissions case ever prosecuted by the Justice Department. Prosecutors said parents schemed to manipulate test scores and bribed coaches to get their children into elite schools by having them labeled as recruited athletes for sports they didn’t even play.

Huffman paid $15,000 to boost her older daughter’s SAT scores with the help of William “Rick” Singer, an admission consultant at the center of the scheme. Huffman pleaded guilty in May to a single count of conspiracy and fraud as part of a deal with prosecutors. Singer, who has pleaded guilty, allegedly bribed a test proctor to correct the teenager’s answers.

The amount Huffman paid is low compared with other bribes alleged in the scheme. Some parents are accused of paying up to $500,000.

Huffman must report for her prison sentence in six weeks, pay a $30,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service.

“I would like to apologize again to my daughter, my husband, my family and the educational community for my actions,” Huffman said in a statement after the sentencing. “And I especially want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices supporting their children.”