Nationwide College Cheating Scandal - Actresses, Business Owners Charged, Mar 2019 - #2

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A few have asked about the other students, here's another one:

New York food and beverage distributor Gregory Abbott, along with his wife Marcia, was among the names reported to be a part of the recent cheating scandal .

Gregory’s son, Malcolm Abbott, is getting involved by telling reporters that the whole ordeal has been overblown.

Later, Malcolm reemerged from the building, this time with his brother, who had previously made comments to the press, noting that his parents “got roped into [this by] some guy who *advertiser censored**ing cheated them.”

New York Post on Tuesday. “They don’t *advertiser censored**ing understand this s***. They’re in their 60s, but they’re also … removed from the real world. They don’t *advertiser censored**ing understand this s***.”

The Abbotts appeared in court where their bail was set at $500,000 bond.

Pot-smoking son defends parents charged in admissions scandal: 'Everyone has a right to go to college'
 
and another two:

Federal prosecutors named former casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and media executive Elisabeth Kimmel with charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Abdelaziz paid $300,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a purported athletic recruit.

Kimmel paid $525,000 in bribes to ensure her daughter's admission to Georgetown University and her son's admission to USC, also as purported athletic recruits.

2 Nevada executives charged in college bribery scheme

and another:

Diane Blake is a retail executive and her husband Todd is an investor-entrepreneur. The Blakes reached out to the people running the scheme in early 2017, asking if there was a way to get their daughter into the University of Southern California. Emails were exchanged and phone calls were made. Several months later, their daughter was getting pitched to the university as a valuable volleyball recruit by USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel.

The complaint alleges that the daughter’s volleyball credentials were embellished. In exchange, the Blake’s wrote a check to USC Women’s Athletics for $50,000.

In March, Todd Blake celebrated his daughter’s USC admission on Twitter. But not long after that, there were signs of trouble. An audit had investigators looking into these donations and, ultimately, the admissions scandal.

At which point one person involved reached out to the Blakes, alerting them to the probe. In a recorded phone call, Diane Blake responds to the threat of an inquiry by saying “Yikes. I mean, [our daughter] doesn’t even know.”

Marin County Couple Caught Up In College Admissions Scheme
 
more:

Manuel Henriquez, 55, and Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, of Atherton. He is the CEO of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, a finance company based in Palo Alto. They are accused of paying to have the tennis coach at Georgetown recruit their older daughter as a student athlete and to have proctors help both their daughters cheat on their SAT and ACT tests.

Amy Colburn, 49, and Gregory Colburn, 61, of Palo Alto. He is a radiation oncologist at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. They’re accused of paying a proctor to help their son cheat on the SAT.

Davina Isackson, 57, and Bruce Isackson, 61, of Hillsborough. He is the president of the real estate company WP Investments in Woodside. They are accused of paying to get their daughters recruited as student athletes at the University of Southern California and for paying for them to cheat on the ACT.

Marjorie Klapper of Menlo Park, a jeweler. She is accused of paying a proctor to help her son cheat on the ACT.

Peter Jan “PJ” Sartorio of Menlo Park. Sartorio is the founder of PJ’s Organics and Nate’s Food Co. He is accused of paying for a proctor to help his daughter cheat on her ACT.

Marci Palatella of Hillsborough. She is married to former San Francisco 49er Lou Palatella, 85, and is the CEO of a liquor distribution company in Burlingame. She is accused of paying to have her son recruited as a USC football player and for paying for her son to get help cheating on the SAT.

List of local residents charged in college admissions scandal - Palo Alto Daily Post
 
Robert Flaxman, of Beverly Hills and CEO of the real estate development firm, Crown Realty. Flaxman is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Prosecutors allege that Flaxman paid about $250,000 in bribes and a college entrance exam-taker to get his children into elite universities. According to court documents, he bribed a coach to help his son gain admission into the University of San Diego as a fake athletic recruit. Flaxman paid his hired help to assist his daughter cheat on her ACT exam.

CEO Robert Flaxman Charged In Admissions Scandal - Canyon News

Former CEO Douglas Hodge of investment management giant Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO) were among the slew of business executives charged in the scheme. Hodge, who served as Pimco CEO from 2014 to 2016, allegedly agreed to use bribery to facilitate the admission of two of his children to the University of Southern California as athletic recruits, and tried enlist the support of a cooperating witness to help a third child get into college too. Federal prosecutors allege that Hodge paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes for his daughters’ admission into USC. Hodge retired from Pimco in November 2017 after working there for 28 years.

Hercules chief Henriquez, ex-Pimco CEO and others are charged in college cheating scheme

There are many more, too numerous to post. Just do search online of each of the names and you will see why they were charged:

https://www.justice.gov/file/1142876/download
 
“Loughlin is extremely upset that Tobin blew the lid on the scheme.”

Of course her illegal and immoral activities are okay, but her getting caught is horrible!

It’s called consequences LL, suck it up.

Yeah, I wonder what her coworkers are thinking, after defending her on her strict probity and moral high horse?

I agree. Olivia seemed passionate about her vlogging and was making an income from doing it. It does seem like her parents pushed the college thing on her.

I would guess the girls were aware that they were posing as crew team members to get into school, but probably didn't think it was that big of a deal. If mom and dad are saying, "Look, you're going to USC, and you're getting in on the crew team, so smile, take some pics, don't advertise it, and you don't have to do it once you get there." I would think that's a tough position to put your kid in. Especially if they really don't care about going to school at all. I would think even at 18, you trust that your parents know the deal and if they say this is the way you get into school... would every kid in that position really argue with their parents? I don't know that they really have the depth and morals to grasp how wrong and fraudulent this was. I think some of it may be just not questioning what they were told to do, rather than being an active participant. It's not like Olivia was dying to go to this school. I'm not sure that they would ever expect that their parents would be putting them in this position or committing actual crimes on their behalf.

I'm almost positive that's why the kids aren't being prosecuted in the main; the prosecutors probably know it would be hard to argue against the parents having the power and position of figures of coercion in the family, who were the ones "leading the charge". The parents are probably seen as the masterminds, like Fagin in Oliver Twist, exerting unfair and undue amounts of psychological pressure on those of the (mostly if not solely underage) kids who knew what was going on.
 
He bragged that there were that many, who knows if its true or not. But I am sure that there are lots more out there. I bet they are sweating bullets.

I believe it. Singer's been doing this college scamming since at least 2011.

The parents listed in the Affidavit to the Complaint have been using his services since at least 2015.

There are most likely hundreds and hundreds of other parents and their children who have now fraudulently obtained degrees at ivy league schools dating back to 2011.

Maybe the feds started with 2018 and are still going through paperwork back to at least 2011.
 
more stories:

Bill McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth, an investment arm of TPG Capital, which owns 35% of CAA, one of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies. McGlashan also founded The Rise Fund with partner Bono, a "social and environmentally aware" fund, which was all about ethically investing. He stands accused of allegedly making a $250,000 donation to sneak his son in through the USC "side door" as a kicker or punter of the football team with the help of a little Photoshop magic, now infamously remarking as the deal was set up: "Pretty funny — The way the world works these days is unbelievable." After news of the scandal broke, McGlashan was fired (though he claimed himself he quit) and investors were permitted to pull their money from his fund.

and another:

Dragon Global CEO Robert Zangrillo, who has ties to the Hadid family, has been pictured several times with Gigi and Bella, even attended their dad Mohammed's birthday party. Unlike some of the other students who were in the dark, his daughter Amber was well aware of what was going on, even asking mastermind Rick Singer over the phone what he "was doing about an 'F' grade that she had received in an art history class she had taken".

and...

Gregory and Marcia Abbott, who are parents to "the future of hip-hop", rapper Billa. His little sister was outed as one of the alleged side gate users, thanks to a reported $125k donation from their mom and dad. The burgeoning R&B star — real name Malcolm — who himself never went to college, gave his two cents on the scandal: "I believe everyone has a right to go to college, man," he declared.

Meet the Other Celeb-Connected Parents Caught Up in the College Admissions Scam
 
Seems some parents are adjourning the March 29th court date:

Gordon Caplan, the former Willkie Farr & Gallagher co-chairman who was arrested on charges related to a college admissions scam, is scheduled to appear in Boston federal court on April 3, alongside a cameo by actress Lori Loughlin. Caplan, who was placed on leave by his firm last week after charges that he spent $75,000 to rig his daughter’s standardized college entrance exam, is set to appear that afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Page Kelley in Boston’s federal court for an initial court appearance there.

Gordon Caplan Set to Appear in Court Alongside Lori Loughlin in College Admissions Case | The American Lawyer

Caplan has hired Ropes & Gray partners Joshua Levy, co-chairman of the firm’s global litigation and enforcement practice, and Michael McGovern, co-chairman of the firm’s government enforcement practice. Caplan has also retained Patrick Smith of New York litigation boutique Smith Villazor. A Ropes & Gray alumna is on the team prosecuting the case.

As for Loughlin and Giannulli, they are represented by a team of Latham & Watkins lawyers, including William Trach, Sean Berkowitz and Perry Viscounty. Trach and Viscounty are based in Boston while Berkowitz, based in Chicago, is global co-chairman of Latham’s complex commercial litigation practice.
 
School officials said Olivia and Isabella have formally dropped out and withdrawn from USC. The case, however, is far from over as there will still be a misconduct hearing to determine if the girls should be banned from USC and its grounds because they were "disruptive individuals." The girls can appear in person at the hearing. If they don't, school officials will proceed without their input.

There are a number of other similar cases the University is currently investigating. The school is working with the FBI and U.S. Attorney.

Lori Loughlin's Daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli Could Be Banned From USC Forever

Lori Loughlin Kids Olivia Jade and Isabella Could Be Banned from USC Forever
 
School officials said Olivia and Isabella have formally dropped out and withdrawn from USC. The case, however, is far from over as there will still be a misconduct hearing to determine if the girls should be banned from USC and its grounds because they were "disruptive individuals." The girls can appear in person at the hearing. If they don't, school officials will proceed without their input.

There are a number of other similar cases the University is currently investigating. The school is working with the FBI and U.S. Attorney.

Lori Loughlin's Daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli Could Be Banned From USC Forever

Lori Loughlin Kids Olivia Jade and Isabella Could Be Banned from USC Forever
I have a feeling the girls could give a flying rip if they are banned from campus. jmo
 
Bill McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth, an investment arm of TPG Capital, which owns 35% of CAA, one of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies. McGlashan also founded The Rise Fund with partner Bono, a "social and environmentally aware" fund, which was all about ethically investing. He stands accused of allegedly making a $250,000 donation to sneak his son in through the USC "side door" as a kicker or punter of the football team with the help of a little Photoshop magic, now infamously remarking as the deal was set up: "Pretty funny — The way the world works these days is unbelievable." After news of the scandal broke, McGlashan was fired (though he claimed himself he quit) and investors were permitted to pull their money from his fund.
Snipped and bolded by me.

Grrr.... the hypocrisy infuriates me. Mr. Ethical Investing - someone you'd like to think is thoughtful about how he conducts his own life - was, in fact, a fraudster. If someone was willing to commit fraud and bribery with college admissions, what else were they willing to do with finances?

I learn something new with every case I follow on WS, and on this case, I learned how to spell hypocrisy correctly. :)

jmo
 
Snipped and bolded by me.

Grrr.... the hypocrisy infuriates me. Mr. Ethical Investing - someone you'd like to think is thoughtful about how he conducts his own life - was, in fact, a fraudster. If someone was willing to commit fraud and bribery with college admissions, what else were they willing to do with finances?

I learn something new with every case I follow on WS, and on this case, I learned how to spell hypocrisy correctly. :)

jmo
ITA. I think he was in the business of making it LOOK like you were ethically investing.
 
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