College scam: Huffman gets two weeks in jail

Oscar-nominated actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced Friday to 14 days in jail for paying thousands of dollars to fraudulently boost her daughter’s chances of attending an elite university. Huffman was also ordered by federal Judge Indira Talwani to pay a $30,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. The jail sentence in U.S. District […]

Oscar-nominated actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced Friday to 14 days in jail for paying thousands of dollars to fraudulently boost her daughter’s chances of attending an elite university.

Huffman was also ordered by federal Judge Indira Talwani to pay a $30,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service.

The jail sentence in U.S. District Court in Boston is two weeks less than what federal prosecutors had recommended – but not as lenient as the non-jail sentence that Huffman wanted.

“I was frightened, I was stupid and I was so wrong. I am deeply ashamed of what I have done,” an emotional Huffman said in a statement to the court, NBC10 Boston reported.

“I take full responsibility for my actions.”

The “Desperate Housewives” star and wife of actor William H. Macy is just one among dozens of wealthy parents who paid hefty bribes to test proctors, college athletics officials or other fixers in order to help secure spots for their children at prestigious schools.

She will be given a future date to report to jail, NBC10 Boston reported.

Huffman, 56, paid $15,000 as part of a cheating scheme to have a college counselor correct wrong answers on her oldest daughter’s SAT scores in 2017, according to federal authorities.

She pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The prosecutors in Massachusetts federal court had recommended Huffman spend one month in jail – near the low end of the sentencing guidelines in the case – followed by one year of supervised release and a $20,000 fine.

Lawyers for Huffman had asked that she be sentenced to a year of probation, along with 250 hours of community service and a $20,000 fine.

Huffman’s payment in the college admissions scandal is dwarfed by some other alleged cheaters. “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, for instance, is accused with her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, of paying a total of $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California.

Loughlin pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

Source: CNBC.com