THIS IS CBS4 NEWS, AT SIX.
CELEBRITIES AND COACHES
CAUGHT UP IN A SWEEPING
NATIONAL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
BRIBERY SCHEME, ONE WITH A
SOUTH FLORIDA CONNECTION AS
WELL.
ACTRESSES FELICITY HUFFMAN AND
LORI LAUGHLIN ARE AMONG DOZENS
OF PEOPLE CRIMINALLY CHARGED
TODAY.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
SAY THEY WERE PART OF A SCAM
THAT OFFERED STUDENTS NEAR
PERFECT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TEST
SCORES OR FAKE ATHLETIC
PROFILES TO SECURE SPOTS AT
ELITE UNIVERSITIES.
CBS JOY BENEDICT BEGINS THE
TEAM COVERAGE.
JOYS LIVE IN LA AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA CAMPUS.
Reporter: THAT'S RIGHT,
RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, ALL
THESE INDICTMENTS ARE TAKING
PLACE, IN THE FEDERAL
COURTHOUSE HERE IN LOS ANGELES,
INCLUDING FELICITY HUFFMAN, WHO
IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE HER 1st
APPEARANCE HERE WITHIN THE
HOUR.
IS FOR WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AT
USC, FIVE CURRENT OR FORMER
EMPLOYEES WERE PART OF THE
SCANDAL, AND WE JUST LEARNED
THAT THE TWO THAT WERE
SUPPOSEDLY CURRENT EMPLOYEES
HAVE NOW BEEN LET GO.
AFTER WILLIAM H MacY ARRIVED AT
THE LOS ANGELES COURTHOUSE HOURS
AFTER HIS WIFE, FELICITY
HUFFMAN, WAS ARRESTED, IN A
SWEEPING COLLEGE ADMISSION SCAM.
HUFFMAN, AN ACTRESS LORI
LAUGHLIN ARE AMONG 33 PARENTS
CHARGED WITH BRIBING THEIR WAY
INTO THE NATION'S MOST ELITE
UNIVERSITIES.
INTERACTIONS WERE, WITHOUT A
DOUBT, INSIDIOUS, SELFISH, AND
SHAMEFUL.
Reporter: THE INDICTMENT
NAMES 50 PEOPLE, POINTING TO
WILLIAM RICK SINGER AS THE
MASTERMIND, HE PLEADED GUILTY
IN BOSTON TO RACKETEERING
CONSPIRACY AND OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE.
HE IS ACCUSED OF TAKING $25
MILLION FROM PARENTS, AND
BRIBING COLLEGE COACHES AT
SCHOOLS INCLUDING GALE,
STANFORD, AND GEORGETOWN TO
RECRUIT STUDENTS WITH FAKE
ATHLETIC CREDENTIALS.
IN ONE EXAMPLE, THE HEAD
WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH AT YALE IN
EXCHANGE FOR $400,000, ACCEPTED
THE APPLICANT AS A RECRUIT FOR
THE YALE WOMEN'S TEAM, DESPITE
KNOWING THAT THE APPLICANT DID
NOT EVEN PLAY COMPETITIVE
SOCCER.
LAUGHLIN AT HER FASHION
DESIGNER HUSBAND ARE ACCUSED OF
PAYING HALF $1 MILLION TO HAVE
THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS RECRUITED
TO THE USC CREW TEAM, EVEN
THOUGH NEITHER PARTICIPATED IN
THE SPORT.
ANOTHER PART OF THE SCAM
INVOLVED THE SAT AND ACT
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS.
HUFFMAN IS ACCUSED OF PAYING
$15,000 FOR SOMEONE TO SECRETLY
CORRECT ANSWERS ON HER
DAUGHTER'S TEST.
USC SAID IN A STATEMENT, THAT
IT HAS TERMINATED ITS WATER
POLO COACH AS WELL AS A SENIOR
ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, IT
IS ALSO CONDUCTING AN INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION AND PLANS TO
COOPERATE FULLY WITH
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTOR SEE THE TRUE VICTIMS
IN THIS ARE HARD-WORKING
STUDENTS WHO PLAY BY THE RULES.
FOR EVERY STUDENT ADMITTED
TO THROUGH FRAUD, AND HONEST,
GENUINELY TALENTED STUDENT WAS
REJECTED.
Reporter: NO STUDENTS WERE
CHARGED IN THE SCHEME,
AUTHORITIES SAY IN MANY CASES,
THE STUDENTS WERE NOT AWARE OF
THEIR PARENTS ACTIONS.
Reporter: YOU HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CASE DATES
ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2011, GOING
TO 2019, SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS
MAY HAVE ALREADY GRADUATED FROM
THESE UNIVERSITIES, OR THEY MAY
STILL BE ENROLLED IN THE
UNIVERSITIES.
RIGHT NOW, AS I MENTIONED,
THEY'RE SAYING THE STUDENTS ARE
NOT AT FAULT BUT WERE NOT AWARE
THAT THIS WAS GOING ON HIM AND
AS EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING
ABOUT, OF COURSE, THIS SCANDAL
MAY HAVE HELPED THEM GET INTO
THOSE COLLEGES, BUT STAYING IN
THEM WAS CERTAINLY THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY.
THINK YOU REPORTING LIVE
FROM LA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TEAM COVERAGE NOW, WITH THE
SOUTH FLORIDA CONNECTION TO THE
STORY, MIAMI DEVELOPER FACING
FEDERAL CHARGES IN THE SCHEME.
WE'RE LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH,
OUTSIDE THE HOME OF ROBERT'S
AND GRILLO, AND FILL US IN ON
WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT HIM.
HE IS ACCUSED OF SIMILAR
CRIMES OF OTHER PARENTS AROUND
THE COUNTRY, PAYING TO GET HIS
DAUGHTER INTO THE COLLEGE, IN
THIS CASE IT WAS UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
ROBERT LIVES OFF THE VENETIAN
CAUSEWAY, THIS IS LISTED AS HIS
HOME.
IS WELL KNOWN TO MANY CIRCLES
AS THE FOUNDER OF THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY DRAGON
GLOBAL.
SOME BIG PROJECTS HE'S INVOLVED
WITH, INCLUDE THE MIAMI
INNOVATION DISTRICT, ALONG WITH
KEN BOULEVARD AROUND LITTLE
HAITI.
AND DEVELOPMENT IN WYNNEWOOD.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS TELL US
SAY HE BRIBED THE GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AT USC TO DESIGNATE
HIS DAUGHTER AS AN ATHLETIC
RECRUIT, ACCORDING TO
INVESTIGATORS, HIS DAUGHTER'S
GRADES WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO
GET INTO USC.
HE, ALONG WITH NEARLY 3 DOZEN
PARENTS, ARE CHARGED IN THE
SAME CASE.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS NOT
A CASE WHERE PARENTS WERE
ACTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
THEIR CHILDREN.
THIS IS A CASE WHERE THEY
FLAUNTED THEIR WEALTH, SPARING
NO EXPENSE, TO CHEAT THE SYSTEM
SO THEY COULD SET THEIR
CHILDREN UP FOR SUCCESS WITH
THE BEST EDUCATION MONEY COULD
BUY.
LITERALLY.
Reporter: INVESTIGATORS SAY
SANGRIA IS ACCUSED OF PAYING A
WOMAN NAMED MICHAELA SANFORD TO
SECRETLY TAKE CLASSES ON BEHALF
OF HIS DAUGHTER, SO THAT THE
GRADE SANFORD EARNED IN
SANGRIA'S DAUGHTER'S NAME COULD
BE SUBMITTED TO USC AS PART OF
HER APPLICATION.
THE FEDS SAY THE SCHEME ALSO
INCLUDED GETTING HIS DAUGHTER
ACCEPTED AS A MEMBER OF THE
ROWING TEAM.
COURT DOCUMENTS LIST THE
COACHES SAYING OKAY, I WILL
TAKE HER, YOU GUYS HELP US, WE
WILL HELP YOU.
INVESTIGATORS SAY PARENTS PAID
BIG SUMS OF MONEY.
SUMS BUT ANYWHERE FROM
200,000 TO 6 1/2 MILLION
DOLLARS FOR GUARANTEED
ADMISSION.
THEIR ACTIONS WERE, WITHOUT A
DOUBT, INSIDIOUS, SELFISH, AND
SHAMEFUL.
TO MAKE IN THIS CASE, PORT
PAPERS SAY SANGRIA PLAYED
$300,000 TO A CHARITABLE
ACCOUNT AND $50,000 TO USC
WOMEN'S ATHLETICS.