BOSTON –  A California woman became the 11th parent to be sentenced in the college admissions case.

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three weeks in prison, one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. In May 2019, Buckingham pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of six months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in 2018, Buckingham agreed with William “Rick” Singer and others to pay $50,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son. As part of the scheme, Buckingham made arrangements for her son to take the ACT at a test center in Houston, Texas, that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator, and for his answers to be corrected by co-conspirator Mark Riddell, who would purport to proctor the exam. Two days prior to the scheduled exam date, a physician advised Buckingham that her son could not fly to Houston due to a medical condition. Buckingham, in turn, asked Singer if it would be possible for Riddell simply to take the test in his place while she administered a fake exam to her son at her home in Los Angeles.

On July 14, 2018, Riddell completed the ACT exam by himself in a Houston hotel room. Three days later, Buckingham make a purported charitable donation of $35,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud, and advised Singer that she intended to have her former husband pay the remaining $15,000. In October 2018, Buckingham told Singer that she wanted to pursue the scheme again for her daughter. Ultimately, Buckingham was arrested before she had the opportunity to engage in the fraud a second time.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –  A California real estate developer became the tenth parent to be sentenced in connection with the college admissions case.

Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $50,000. In May 2019, Flaxman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in the 2016, Flaxman conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Flaxman took steps to secure extended time for his daughter to take the ACT and to take the exam at a test center in Houston, Texas, that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator. On Oct. 22, 2016, Flaxman’s daughter and the child of another client of Singer both took the ACT with the assistance of co-conspirator Mark Riddell. Riddell assisted in answering exam questions and instructed the students to answer different questions incorrectly so that the ACT would not suspect cheating. As a result of the cheating scheme, Flaxman’s daughter received a score of 28 out of 36 on the exam.

Two days prior to the exam, Flaxman made a purported charitable donation of $75,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud. Thereafter, Flaxman deducted the bribe payment from his income taxes, thereby defrauding the IRS.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –  A California woman became the ninth parent to be sentenced in connection with the college admissions case.

Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three weeks in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $9,500. In May 2019, Klapper pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of four months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $20,000.

“This defendant paid $15,000 to arrange for her son to cheat on the ACT and then falsely claimed on his college applications that he was Black or Latino,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Ms. Klapper thereby not only corrupted the standardized testing system, but also specifically victimized the real minority applicants already fighting for admission to elite schools. We respectfully disagree that a three-week sentence is a sufficient sanction for this misconduct.”

Beginning in the 2017, Klapper conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have her son’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Klapper took steps to secure extended time for her son to take the ACT and to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator, Igor Dvorskiy. After Klapper’s son completed the exam on Oct. 28, 2017, co-conspirator Mark Riddell corrected his answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, Klapper’s son received a score of 30 out of 36 on the exam. In November 2017, Klapper made a purported charitable donation of $15,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation to pay for the fraud.

In addition, Klapper conspired with Singer to falsify her son’s college applications by claiming that he was African-American and of Hispanic/Latino origin in an attempt to further improve his odds of admission by claiming minority status. Klapper also falsely represented that neither she nor her husband had attended college in order to bolster her son’s college prospects.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –  A California man became the eighth parent to be sentenced today in connection with the college admissions case.

Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one year of probation, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $9,500. In May 2019, Sartorio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of one month in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $9,500.

Beginning in the spring of 2017, Sartorio conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Sartorio took steps to secure extended time for his daughter to take the ACT, which allowed her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator, Igor Dvorskiy. After Sartorio’s daughter completed the exam on June 10, 2017, without using the extra time she had been allotted, co-conspirator Mark Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, Sartorio’s daughter received a score of 27 out of 36 on the exam, which placed her in the 86th percentile. Sartorio paid Singer $15,000 in cash, structuring the cash withdrawals in three smaller increments over several days to avoid bank reporting requirements.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

 

BOSTON –  A husband and wife were sentenced to prison today for paying $125,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their daughter.

Gregory Abbott, 68, and Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y., were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to each pay a fine of $45,000. In May 2019, the Abbotts pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended that the Abbotts each be sentenced to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in 2018, Gregory and Maria Abbott conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have their daughter’s ACT exam and SAT II subject tests corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the scores. In April 2018, Gregory Abbott wired $50,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), to pay for the scheme. Later that month, the Abbotts’ daughter took the ACT exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. After the Abbotts’ daughter completed the exam, defendant Mark Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, the Abbotts’ daughter received a fraudulent score of 35 out of 36 on the exam.

In June 2018, the Abbotts arranged with Singer for someone to correct her daughter’s answers on the SAT subject tests to increase her score. The Abbotts then paid $75,000 to KWF. In October 2018, the Abbotts’ daughter took the exams, again at the West Hollywood test center, and again, Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the scheme, the Abbotts’ daughter received a perfect score of 800 on the math subject test and 710 on the literature test.

The Abbotts are the 6th and 7th parents to be sentenced in the college admissions case. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.     

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON –  A Californian vintner was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for paying $50,000 to have his daughter’s SAT scores artificially inflated, and agreeing to another $250,000 to have her fraudulently recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) as a water polo player.

Agustin Francisco Huneeus, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $100,000. In May 2019, Huneeus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $95,000.

Beginning in 2017, Huneeus conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. Over the course of several months, Huneeus took steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for his daughter to take the SAT, lying to her high school guidance counselors, and arranging for her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. In March 2018, Huneeus’s daughter took the SAT with the help of co-conspirator Mark Riddell, thereby receiving an artificially higher score. The following month, Huneeus made a purported contribution of $50,000 to Singer’s shame charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the scheme.

Huneeus was not happy with the results of the fraudulent exam scheme, and considered pursuing it on two more occasions. Ultimately, Huneeus decided to use the college recruitment scheme to guarantee his daughter’s admission to USC. During a call intercepted by a court-authorized wiretap, Singer explained the recruitment scheme in detail and the cost to Huneeus. In September 2018, Singer sent Donna Heinel, the senior athletic director at USC, an email with Huneeus’s daughter’s high school transcript, fraudulent SAT score, a fabricated athletic profile, and a photograph that was intended to appear to be Huneeus’s daughter playing water polo. In November 2018, Heinel emailed Singer a conditional acceptance letter for Huneeus’s daughter stating that she was admitted to USC as a water polo player. Later that month, Huneeus sent a $50,000 check to Heinel purportedly for the “USC Women’s Athletics Board.” Ultimately, Huneeus was arrested before making the final agreed-up payment of $200,000 to Singer.

Co-defendants Felicity Huffman, Devin Sloane, Stephen Semprevivo, and Gordon Caplan were previously sentenced to two weeks, four months, four months, and one month in prison, respectively.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.      

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.    

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

 

BOSTON –  The former co-chairman of a global law firm became the fourth parent to be sentenced to prison in connection with his involvement in the college admissions case.

Gordon Caplan, 53, of Greenwich, Conn., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $50,000. In May 2018, Caplan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in 2018, Caplan conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. During a June 2018 phone call, Caplan and Singer discussed the scheme and the cost. Over the next several months, Caplan took steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for his daughter to take the ACT and arranging for her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. During a phone call with Singer that was intercepted pursuant to a Court-authorized wiretap, Caplan noted that he was “not worried about the moral issues here.” Caplan ultimately made payments totaling $75,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the scheme.

Co-defendants Felicity Huffman, Devin Sloane, and Stephen Semprevivo were previously sentenced to two weeks, four months, and four months in prison, respectively.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

 

BOSTON –  A California man became the third parent to be sentenced to prison today in connection with his involvement in the college admissions case.

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to four months in prison, two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. The Court may offset the fine with restitution to be determined at a later hearing. In May 2018, Semprevivo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The government recommended a sentence of 13 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $95,000, and restitution of $105,341.

Semprevivo conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his son admitted to Georgetown University as a tennis recruit, even though his son did not play competitive tennis. As part of the scheme, Semprevivo involved his son as an active participant in the scheme by having him send emails to defendant Gordon Ernst, the Georgetown tennis coach, expressing interest in playing tennis at Georgetown. By April 2016, Semprevivo’s son had been formally admitted to Georgetown and Semprevivo made a purported contribution of $400,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation. From that account, Singer paid Ernst hundreds of thousands of dollars for facilitating the fraudulent recruitment of Semprevivo’s son to Georgetown as a tennis recruit.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, co-defendant Devin Sloane was sentenced to four months in prison, and earlier this month co-defendant Felicity Huffman was sentenced to two weeks in prison.

Ernst is charged by indictment with racketeering conspiracy, and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

 

BOSTON –  A California businessman became the second parent to be sentenced to prison today in connection with his involvement in the college admissions case.

Devin Sloane, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to four months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and pay a fine of $95,000. Sloane is the chief executive officer of AquaTecture, LLC, a privately held Los Angeles-based company involved in the water and wastewater industries. In May 2019, Sloane pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The government recommended a sentence of one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $75,000.

Sloane conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his son admitted to the University of Southern California (USC) as a water polo recruit, even though his son did not play water polo. As part of the scheme, Sloane purchased water polo gear online, and photographed his son purporting to play water polo in the family swimming pool, later hiring a graphic design firm to manipulate the photos to make them appear more realistic. Sloane made a purported contribution of $200,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, and a $50,000 payment to USC Women's Athletics, a fund controlled by defendant Donna Heinel.  

Previously, the first parent sentenced in the case, Felicity Huffman, was sentenced to two weeks in prison for her involvement in the scheme. 

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

 

BOSTON –  Felicity Huffman was sentenced today to 14 days in federal prison for her involvement in the college admissions case. She must report to the Bureau of Prison on Oct. 25, 2019.

Huffman, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to 14 days in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $30,000.  The government had recommended a sentence of one month in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $20,000. In May 2019, Huffman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.  

Beginning in at least 2017, Huffman conspired with Rick Singer to have her daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. During an August 2017 meeting with Rick Singer at her home, Huffman and Singer discussed the scheme and the cost. Over the next year and a half, Huffman took multiple steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for her daughter to take the SAT and arranging for her daughter to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled.” Huffman also agreed to lie to her daughter’s high school guidance counselor by falsely telling the counselor that her daughter would take the test elsewhere over a weekend so that she would not miss any school. Thereafter, Huffman paid for the scheme by making a purported contribution of $15,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O'Connell, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Three parents charged in the college admissions case pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif.; Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif.; and Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled the sentencings for Oct. 23, Oct. 18, and Oct. 16, 2019, respectively.

At today’s hearing, Buckingham acknowledged agreeing to pay Rick Singer $50,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $40,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Flaxman acknowledged agreeing to pay Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $40,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Klapper acknowledged agreeing to pay Rick Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $20,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Three parents charged in the college admissions case pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.

Gregory Abbott, 68, and Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y., and Aspen, Colo., and Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled the Abbotts’ sentencing for Oct. 8, 2019, and Sartorio’s sentencing for Oct. 11, 2019.

At today’s hearing, Gregory and Marcia Abbott acknowledged paying Rick Singer $125,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreements, the government will recommend a sentence of one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $55,000, restitution and forfeiture for each defendant.

Sartorio pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence within the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $9,500, restitution and forfeiture.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Two parents charged in the college admissions case pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.

Agustin Huneeus, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., and Gordon Caplan, 53, of Greenwich, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Oct. 4 and Oct. 3, 2019, respectively.

At today’s hearing, Caplan pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay Rick Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam scheme for his daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $40,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Huneeus pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay Singer $300,000 to participate in both the college entrance exam and recruitment schemes for his daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $55,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Two California parents charged in the college admissions case pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.

Felicity Huffman, 56, and Devin Sloane, 53, both of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Sept. 13 and Sept. 10, 2019, respectively.

As set forth in the charging documents, Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay Rick Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam scheme for her oldest daughter. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release, a fine of $20,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Sloane pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay Singer $250,000 to participate in the college recruitment scheme for his oldest son. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $75,000, restitution and forfeiture.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

 

BOSTON – A California parent charged in the college admissions case pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with paying $400,000 to facilitate his child’s admission to Georgetown University.

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2019.

As set forth in the charging documents, Semprevivo paid $400,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to Georgetown University as a purported tennis recruit.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 18 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $95,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

 

BOSTON – Thirteen parents charged in the college admissions scandal will plead guilty to using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate their children’s admission to selective colleges and universities. One coach also agreed to plead guilty.

The defendants were arrested last month and charged with conspiring with William “Rick” Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., and others, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to colleges and universities. The conspiracy involved bribing SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker to secretly take college entrance exams in place of students, or to correct the students’ answers after they had taken the exam, and bribing university athletic coaches and administrators to facilitate the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits. 

The following defendants were charged in an Information with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and have agreed to plead guilty pursuant to plea agreements:

Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, N.Y., together with his wife, Marcia, agreed to pay Singer $125,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their daughter;

Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y.;

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $50,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son;

Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Conn., agreed to pay Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;

Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;

Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer at least $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her oldest daughter;

Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $300,000 to participate in both the college entrance exam cheating scheme and the college recruitment scheme for his daughter;

Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son;

Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $400,000 to participate in the college recruitment scheme for his son; and

Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $250,000 to participate in the college recruitment scheme for his son.

In addition, Bruce Isackson, 61, and Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, Calif., were charged in a separate Information and have both agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson will also plead guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The Isacksons agreed to pay Singer an amount, ultimately totaling $600,000, to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their younger daughter and the college recruitment scheme for both of their daughters. The Isacksons also underpaid their federal income taxes by deducting the bribe payments as purported charitable contributions. The Isacksons are cooperating with the government’s investigation.

Michael Center, 54, of Austin, Texas, the former head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin, was charged in a third Information and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. In 2015, Center personally accepted $60,000 in cash from Singer, as well as $40,000 directed to the University of Texas tennis program, in exchange for designating the child of one of Singer’s clients as a tennis recruit, thereby facilitating his admission to the University of Texas.

All of the defendants who improperly took tax deductions for the bribe payments have agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay back taxes.

Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

BOSTON – Dozens of individuals involved in a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits were arrested by federal agents in multiple states this morning and charged in federal court in Boston. Athletic coaches from Yale, Stanford, USC, Wake Forest and Georgetown, among others, are implicated, as well as parents and exam administrators. 

William “Rick” Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., was charged with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Singer owned and operated the Edge College & Career Network LLC (“The Key”) – a for-profit college counseling and preparation business – and served as the CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF) – a non-profit corporation that he established as a purported charity.

Between approximately 2011 and February 2019, Singer allegedly conspired with dozens of parents, athletic coaches, a university athletics administrator, and others, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to colleges and universities including Yale University, Georgetown University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, and Wake Forest University, among others. Also charged for their involvement in the scheme are 33 parents and 13 coaches and associates of Singer’s businesses, including two SAT and ACT test administrators.  

Also charged is John Vandemoer, the head sailing coach at Stanford University, Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, the former head soccer coach at Yale University, and Mark Riddell, a counselor at a private school in Bradenton, Fla. 

The conspiracy involved 1) bribing SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker, typically Riddell, to secretly take college entrance exams in place of students or to correct the students’ answers after they had taken the exam; 2) bribing university athletic coaches and administrators—including coaches at Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, the University of Southern California, and the University of Texas—to facilitate the admission of students to elite universities under the guise of being recruited as athletes; and (3) using the façade of Singer’s charitable organization to conceal the nature and source of the bribes.   

College Entrance Exam Cheating Scheme

According to the charging documents, Singer facilitated cheating on the SAT and ACT exams for his clients by instructing them to seek extended time for their children on college entrance exams, which included having the children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain the required medical documentation. Once the extended time was granted, Singer allegedly instructed the clients to change the location of the exams to one of two test centers: a public high school in Houston, Texas, or a private college preparatory school in West Hollywood, Calif. At those test centers, Singer had established relationships with test administrators Niki Williams and Igor Dvorskiy, respectively, who accepted bribes of as much as $10,000 per test in order to facilitate the cheating scheme. Specifically, Williams and Dvorskiy allowed a third individual, typically Riddell, to take the exams in place of the students, to give the students the correct answers during the exams, or to correct the students’ answers after they completed the exams. Singer typically paid Ridell $10,000 for each student’s test. Singer’s clients paid him between $15,000 and $75,000 per test, with the payments structured as purported donations to the KWF charity. In many instances, the students taking the exams were unaware that their parents had arranged for the cheating.

College Recruitment Scheme

It is further alleged that throughout the conspiracy, parents paid Singer approximately $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators to designate their children as purported athletic recruits, thereby facilitating the children’s’ admission to those universities. Singer allegedly described the scheme to his customers as a “side door,” in which the parents paid Singer under the guise of charitable donations to KWF. In turn, Singer funneled those payments to programs controlled by the athletic coaches, who then designated the children as recruited athletes – regardless of their athletic experience and abilities. Singer also made bribe payments to most of the coaches personally.

For example, during a call with one parent, Singer stated: “Okay, so, who we are…what we do is we help the wealthiest families in the U.S. get their kids into school…My families want a guarantee. So, if you said to me ‘here’s our grades, here’s our scores, here’s our ability, and we want to go to X school’ and you give me one or two schools, and then I’ll go after those schools and try to get a guarantee done.” 

As part of the scheme, Singer directed employees of The Key and the KWF to create falsified athletic “profiles” for students, which were then submitted to the universities in support of the students’ applications. The profiles included fake honors that the students purportedly received and elite teams that they purportedly played on.  In some instances, parents supplied Singer with staged photos of their children engaged in athletic activity – such as using a rowing machine or purportedly playing water polo.

Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Beginning around 2013, Singer allegedly agreed with certain clients to disguise bribe payments as charitable contributions to the KWF, thereby enabling clients to deduct the bribes from their federal income taxes. Specifically, Singer allegedly instructed clients to make payments to the KWF in return for facilitating their children’s admission to a chosen university. Singer used a portion of that money to bribe university athletic coaches to designate the children as student athletes. Thereafter, Masera or another KWF employee mailed letters from the KWF to the clients expressing thanks for their purported charitable contributions. The letter stated: “Your generosity will allow us to move forward with our plans to provide educational and self-enrichment programs to disadvantaged youth,” and falsely indicated that “no good or services were exchanged” for the donations. Many clients then filed personal tax returns that falsely reported the payment to the KWF as charitable donations.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, and of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of 250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Appendix

William Rick Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., owner of the Edge College & Career Network and CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was charged in an Information with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice.  He is scheduled to plead guilty in Boston before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on March 12, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.;

Mark Riddell, 36, of Palmetto, Fla., was charged in an Information with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering;

Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 51, of Madison, Conn., the former head women’s soccer coach at Yale University, was charged in an Information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud as well as honest services wire fraud;  

John Vandemoer, 41, of Stanford, Calif., the former sailing coach at Stanford University, was charged in an Information with racketeering conspiracy and is expected to plead guilty in Boston before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on March 12, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.;

David Sidoo, 59, of Vancouver, Canada, was charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sidoo was arrested on Friday, March 8th in San Jose, Calif., and appeared in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California yesterday. A date for his initial appearance in federal court in Boston has not yet been scheduled.  

The following defendants were charged in an indictment with racketeering conspiracy:

Igor Dvorskiy, 52, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., director of a private elementary and high school in Los Angeles and a test administrator for the College Board and ACT;

Gordon Ernst, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University;

William Ferguson, 48, of Winston-Salem, N.C., former women’s volleyball coach at Wake Forest University;

Martin Fox, 62, of Houston, Texas, president of a private tennis academy in Houston;

Donna Heinel, 57, of Long Beach, Calif., the senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California;

Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, Calif., former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California;

Ali Khoroshahin, 49, of Fountain Valley, Calif., former head coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California;

Steven Masera, 69, of Folsom, Calif., accountant and financial officer for the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation;

Jorge Salcedo, 46, of Los Angeles, Calif., former head coach of men’s soccer at the University of California at Los Angeles;

Mikaela Sanford, 32, of Folsom, Calif., employee of the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation;

Jovan Vavic, 57, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., former water polo coach at the University of Southern California; and

Niki Williams, 44, of Houston, Texas, assistant teacher at a Houston high school and test administrator for the College Board and ACT.

The following defendant was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud:

Michael Center, 54, of Austin Texas, head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin

The following defendants were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud:

Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, N.Y., the founder and chairman of a food and beverage packaging company;

Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y.;

Gamal Abdelaziz, 62, of Las Vegas, Nev., the former senior executive of a resort and casino operator in Macau, China;

Diane Blake, 55, of San Francisco, Calif., an executive at a retail merchandising firm;

Todd Blake, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., an entrepreneur and investor;

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., the CEO of a boutique marketing company;

Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Conn., co-chairman of an international law firm based in New York City;

I-Hin “Joey” Chen, 64, of Newport Beach, Calif., operates a provider of warehousing and related services for the shipping industry;

Amy Colburn, 59, of Palo Alto, Calif.;

Gregory Colburn, 61, of Palo Alto, Calif.;

Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., founder and CEO of real estate development firm;

Mossimo Giannulli, 55, of Los Angeles, Calif., fashion designer;

Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, of Atherton, Calif.;

Manuel Henriquez, 55, of Atherton, Calif., founder, chairman and CEO of a publicly traded specialty finance company;

Douglas Hodge, 61, of Laguna Beach, Calif., former CEO of investment management company;

Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, Calif., an actress;

Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, Calif., owner of wine vineyards;

Bruce Isackson, 61, of Hillsborough, Calif., president of a real estate development firm;

Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, Calif.;

Michelle Janavs, 48, of Newport Coast, Calif., former executive of a large food manufacturer; 

Elisabeth Kimmel, 54, of Las Vegas, Nev., owner and president of a media company;

Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., co-owner of jewelry business;

Lori Loughlin, 54, of Los Angeles, Calif., an actress;

Toby MacFarlane, 56, of Del Mar, Calif., former senior executive at a title insurance company;

William McGlashan Jr., 55, of Mill Valley, Calif., senior executive at a global equity firm;

Marci Palatella, 63, of Healdsburg, Calif., CEO of a liquor distribution company;

Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., packaged food entrepreneur;

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., executive at privately held provider of outsourced sales teams;

Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., founder and CEO of provider of drinking and wastewater systems;

John Wilson, 59, of Hyannis Port, Mass., founder and CEO of private equity and real estate development firm;

Homayoun Zadeh, 57, of Calabasas, Calif., an associate professor of dentistry; and

Robert Zangrillo, 52, of Miami, Fla., founder and CEO of private investment firm.