Tearful Huffman pleads guilty
Prosecutors recommend four-month sentence
BOSTON – Actress Felicity Huffman fought back tears as she pleaded guilty in Boston federal court Monday afternoon to charges in the nation’s largest college admissions scandal.
The “Desperate Housewives” actress admitted to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying Rick Singer, the scheme’s alleged mastermind, $15,000 to have someone correct SAT answers for her oldest daughter.
As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors recommended Huffman receive a four-month prison term, substantially lower than the maximum 20 years the charges carry. A sentencing hearing for the star was set for Sept. 13.
Huffman stood and raised her right hand in the courtroom, replying, “Yes, your honor,” when asked by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani if she understood the terms of her plea deal. The judge accepted the agreement after going over its ramifications, reminding Huffman that she would waive her right to a trial by jury, the ability to appeal the judge’s decision and other rights such as possessing a firearm.
Huffman, 56, became emotional immediately before her guilty plea when discussing how her daughter has seen a neuropsychiatrist since the age of 11. She said issues related to her therapy explained why her daughter needed an extra day to take the SAT.
“I just didn’t want to create the impression that the neuropsychiatrist had anything to do with this,” Huffman said, struggling to finish her sentence. She said that just like her daughter, the neuropsychiatrist had no knowledge of her involvement. One of her attorneys, Martin Murphy, put his arm around Huffman to console her.
Huffman and her legal team did not answer questions as she exited the courthouse in front of a large crowd of reporters.
At the same hearing, Devin Sloane, a CEO of a water systems company in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to paying $250,000 in bribes to Singer to falsely designate his son as a water polo player so he could gain acceptance to the University of Southern California. Because the dollar amount was greater than in Huffman’s case, prosecutors recommended 15 to 21 months of prison time for Sloane.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen told the judge the government recommended four months in jail, the low end of sentence guidelines, in exchange for Huffman not appealing. The judge responded: “There is a trade here. They’ve given up something. I will accept the plea waiver.”
In addition, the government recommended that she receive 12 months of supervised release and pay a $20,000 penalty, as well as an undetermined amount of restitution and forfeiture.
The actress arrived at federal court about two hours before her scheduled hearing with her brother, Moore Huffman Jr., tightly clasping her hand as she walked to the front door alongside a metal barricade that separated her from media members.
Actress Lori Loughlin, another celebrity indicted by the Justice Department, has pleaded not guilty to the same charges and money laundering.
Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying $500,000 to Singer for their daughters to be classified as athletic recruits to get them accepted into the University of Southern California. The couple have a hearing June 3.
Huffman and Sloane are the fourth and fifth parents to plead guilty in the “Varsity Blues” case. An additional nine parents agreed to plead guilty and have plea hearings in the coming weeks.
Rosen went over the evidence against Huffman in court Monday. Prosecutors said Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, who is not charged in the case, met with Singer at the couple’s Los Angeles home before her daughter’s SAT exam in December 2017 to discuss the scheme.
Huffman’s daughter received a 1420 out of 1600 on the test, approximately 400 points higher than she earned on her PSAT taken one year earlier without Singer’s assistance.