COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL

Former UCLA Soccer Coach to Plead Guilty in Admissions Scam

Federal prosecutors say the former University of California at Los Angeles men's soccer coach will plead guilty to taking $200,000 in bribes as part of the college admissions cheating scheme

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The former University of California at Los Angeles men's soccer coach will plead guilty to taking $200,000 in bribes as part of the college admissions cheating scheme, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Jorge Salcedo, 47, of Los Angeles, will admit to getting bribes in exchange for helping get one male and one female student into the school as fake soccer recruits. He will plead guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge, according to court documents.

Salcedo was among 50 people charged last year in the case that has embroiled the world of higher education. More than 30 wealthy parents, coaches at elite schools and others have already pleaded guilty to taking or paying bribes to rig college entrance exams or have students recruited to teams for sports they didn't play.

Attorneys for actress Lori Loughlin her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were set to appear in Boston federal court Friday on their charges stemming from indictments in the college admissions scandal.

An email seeking comment was sent to Salcedo's lawyer Tuesday.

Salcedo accepted $100,000 to help California couple Bruce and Davina Isackson get their daughter into UCLA as a bogus soccer recruit, prosecutors said. The Isacksons have also pleaded guilty and have been cooperating with authorities in the hopes of getting a lighter sentence.

Salcedo took another $100,000 bribe from the admissions consultant at the center of the scheme, Rick Singer, to ``recruit'' the son of Xiaoning Sui of, Surrey, British Columbia, to his team, authorities said. Singer and Sui have also pleaded guilty.

Other parents charged in the case include ``Full House'' star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, who are accused of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits even though neither girl was a rower.

Actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison for padding her daughter's SAT score. It's the first sentence delivered in the nationwide college admissions scandal.

The couple says they're innocent and that their payments were legitimate donations. They're scheduled to go to trial alongside six other parents in October.

"Desperate Housewives'' actress Felicity Huffman admitted to paying $15,000 to have someone cheat on her daughter's SAT exam. She was sentenced to two weeks in prison.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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