Another Wealthy Parent Pleads Guilty In College Admissions Scam

BOSTON — A California parent charged in the nationwide college admissions case pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Boston in connection with paying $400,000 to facilitate his child’s admission to Georgetown University. He is the third parent to plead guilty in connection with the scandal.

Stephen Semprevivo, 53, a Los Angeles business executive, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Semprevivo admitted to paying $400,000 to get his son’s admission to Georgetown University as a purported tennis recruit.

He joins a list of nearly three dozen wealthy parents to plead guilty after they were caught trying cheat the system for their children. More than a dozen more are fighting the charges, and prosecutors expect to file new charges against still more families, as of yet, unnamed in the scheme.

Federal prosecutors indicted dozens of people — including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, CEOs and college coaches — in the alleged cheating scheme. According to prosecutors, parents paid a college prep business as much as $75,000 to have someone take SAT or ACT exams for their children and millions to have their children admitted as bogus athletic recruits. The scheme also involved the bribing of college coaches to identify the students as recruited athletes, exaggerating their abilities to boost their standings in the admission process. In some cases, the students' athletic resumes were pure fiction, according to prosecutors.

Semprevivo faces as much as 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 for the charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

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, according to the U.S. Attoney's office.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled his sentencing for Sept. 11.

Previously on Patch:

• 2 Parents Plead Guilty To College Admissions Scam
• Lori Loughlin Pleads Not Guilty In Admissions Bribery Case
• Federal Jury Indicts Lori Loughlin In College Admissions
• Desperate Housewives' Felicity Huffman, 13 Others To Plead Guilty In College Admissions Scam

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).