‘Varsity Blues’ cheating scandal mastermind must disclose criminal past to new clients: Judge

Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal known as “Varsity Blues,” can return to his former job as long as he warns parents about his criminal past, a federal judge in Boston ruled Monday.

Federal prosecutors balked at Singer advising prospective undergraduates regarding their college applications after he served time in federal prison for facilitating bribes among wealthy parents, test proctors and elite universities.

Singer established a new college consulting service, ID Future Stars, which, according to its website, offers “personalized coaching, expert guidance, and comprehensive support.” Chief District Judge Denise Casper said it must now include the following two paragraphs:

“In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice for his role in what was widely-publicized as the ‘Varsity Blues’ college admissions scheme. Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students’ academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students’ college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials.”

The court-mandated statement continued:

“As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million.”

Singer is required to post the statement prominently on the ID Futures Stars website and to also provide a written copy to parents, students or other entities seeking to retain him, Casper said.

As part of his plea deal, Singer helped federal prosecutors in Boston with their sweeping investigation into bribes paid to athletic coaches, SAT and ACT proctors, and others so students of wealthy parents could cheat their way into some of the country’s best-known schools. Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were among the more than three dozen parents charged.

Singer continued to advise prospective undergraduates on their college applications while serving his sentence in federal prison in Florida, and from a California halfway house after his release.