Will students involved in the college cheating scandal face any charges?

[space-time]

Also you apply at colleges when you are in 11th grade, right, so these kids would be 17 or so when these acts take place, probably they don't know all details although they probably know something.

[tuqqer]

Twenty years ago, a couple of my very wealthy friends helped their teen kids get into big colleges by similar methods, better disguised (donating $40k/year to another Harvard student, etc), and they laughed saying a cool million would pretty much allow anyone to join the school. My question: if it's a private institute, how is this against the law?

[pRICE cUBE]

More here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_colle...ry_scandal

tuqqer wrote:
Twenty years ago, a couple of my very wealthy friends helped their teen kids get into big colleges by similar methods, better disguised (donating $40k/year to another Harvard student, etc), and they laughed saying a cool million would pretty much allow anyone to join the school. My question: if it's a private institute, how is this against the law?

I see some of the charges include mail fraud, money laundering, etc.

Singer arranged to allow clients' children to cheat on the SAT or ACT college admission tests.[15] Singer worked with psychologists to complete the detailed paperwork required to falsely certify clients' children as having a learning disability; this in turn gave them access to accommodations, such as extra time, while taking the tests. Singer said he could obtain a falsified disability report from a psychologist for $4,000 to $5,000,[33] and that the report could be re-used to fraudulently obtain similar benefits at the schools.

Once the paperwork was complete, Singer told clients to invent false travel plans to arrange to have their children's test locations moved to a test center under his control, either in West Hollywood or Houston. Parents might also be advised to fabricate a family event that could provide a pretense for the student to take the SAT, ACT, or other test at a private location where Singer could have complete control over the testing process.[32]

In some cases, the student was involved directly in the fraud. In others, the fraud was kept secret from the student and corrupt proctors altered tests on their behalf after the fact.[34] In some cases, other people posed as the students to take the tests. Mark Riddell, a Harvard alumnus and college admission exam preparation director at IMG Academy, was one of the stand-in test takers who took over two dozen exams; he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and one count of money laundering, and agreed to cooperate with investigators.[35][36][37] Prosecutors said he was paid $10,000 per test, and the government is seeking to recover almost $450,000 from him in forfeiture.[38] Riddell did not have advance access to the test papers, but was described as "just a really smart guy".[39] He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, but reportedly prosecutors said that because of his cooperation they will instead likely recommend 33 months imprisonment at his Nov 1 (originally July 18) sentencing hearing.

[Blankity Blank]

Given that we’re still talking about kids here, possible parental pressure/misinformation and that sort of thing, criminal charges, even if technically applicable, seem out of line. Having the fruits of the misdeeds withdrawn, without exception, seems a more fitting consequence for the kids.

The baseline lessons still get sent. Money doesn’t always give you a free pass at the expense of others and some “shortcuts” can come back to bite you in the butt.

[macphanatic]

pRICE cUBE wrote:
More here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_colle...ry_scandal

[quote=tuqqer]
Twenty years ago, a couple of my very wealthy friends helped their teen kids get into big colleges by similar methods, better disguised (donating $40k/year to another Harvard student, etc), and they laughed saying a cool million would pretty much allow anyone to join the school. My question: if it's a private institute, how is this against the law?

I see some of the charges include mail fraud, money laundering, etc.

Singer arranged to allow clients' children to cheat on the SAT or ACT college admission tests.[15] Singer worked with psychologists to complete the detailed paperwork required to falsely certify clients' children as having a learning disability; this in turn gave them access to accommodations, such as extra time, while taking the tests. Singer said he could obtain a falsified disability report from a psychologist for $4,000 to $5,000,[33] and that the report could be re-used to fraudulently obtain similar benefits at the schools.

Once the paperwork was complete, Singer told clients to invent false travel plans to arrange to have their children's test locations moved to a test center under his control, either in West Hollywood or Houston. Parents might also be advised to fabricate a family event that could provide a pretense for the student to take the SAT, ACT, or other test at a private location where Singer could have complete control over the testing process.[32]

In some cases, the student was involved directly in the fraud. In others, the fraud was kept secret from the student and corrupt proctors altered tests on their behalf after the fact.[34] In some cases, other people posed as the students to take the tests. Mark Riddell, a Harvard alumnus and college admission exam preparation director at IMG Academy, was one of the stand-in test takers who took over two dozen exams; he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and one count of money laundering, and agreed to cooperate with investigators.[35][36][37] Prosecutors said he was paid $10,000 per test, and the government is seeking to recover almost $450,000 from him in forfeiture.[38] Riddell did not have advance access to the test papers, but was described as "just a really smart guy".[39] He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, but reportedly prosecutors said that because of his cooperation they will instead likely recommend 33 months imprisonment at his Nov 1 (originally July 18) sentencing hearing.
I wonder if those charged could face more charges. Can the Post Master General file mail fraud charges, which I believe carry heavier consequences than those that have already been applied.