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California Insurance Executive Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Scandal

California Insurance Executive Pleads Guilty in College Admissions Scandal

“The judge instructed MacFarlane to say aloud his charges when he took the stand.”

He paid $450,000 to get his two kids into USC. Amazing.

USA Today reports:

California insurance exec pleads guilty to paying $450,000 for kids’ admission into USC as fake recruits

A California title insurance executive admitted Friday to paying $450,000 to fraudulently get his daughter and son admitted into the University of Southern California by having them falsely tagged as soccer and basketball recruits, respectively.

Toby MacFarlane, a former senior executive at WFG National Title Insurance Company from Del Mar, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

MacFarlane, a USC graduate, is now the 20th out of 50 defendants to plead guilty in the nation’s college admissions scandal with two more agreeing to plead guilty but awaiting court hearings. He’s the 14th parent to plead guilty.

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton approved an April plea agreement between MacFarlane and prosecutors, who have recommended that he serve 15 months in prison, receive 12 months of supervised release and pay a penalty of $95,000 along with an unspecified amount of restitution. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The judge instructed MacFarlane to say aloud his charges when he took the stand.

“Conspiracy to commit fraud by getting my children into USC as recruited athletes when in fact they’re not,” MacFarlane said.

“Guilty,” he said when asked how he pleads.

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