Mom pleads guilty in bribery case

A California woman pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge Wednesday after authorities said she paid a company $9,000 to take online classes for her son at Georgetown University and then demanded a discount when he received a C.

Karen Littlefair, 57, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The resident of Newport Beach, California, previously agreed to the plea in a deal with prosecutors. She is to be sentenced May 13. The charge carries up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors said they will recommend four months and a $9,500 fine. Littlefair is among more than 50 people charged in a college admissions scandal that has ensnared dozens of wealthy parents. Many are accused of portraying their children as fake athletic recruits to get them into elite universities, while others allegedly paid to rig their children’s SAT or ACT exams.

At the center of the case is college admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer, who is accused of orchestrating the scheme and pleaded guilty last year. Prosecutors say Littlefair hired Singer’s company to take four online classes on behalf of her son so he could graduate from Georgetown in 2018. Three of the courses were taken through Georgetown, prosecutors said, while one was taken online at Arizona State University and then transferred to Georgetown.