1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,940 In this episode of American Greed, the college admissions scandal. 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,120 We're talking about deception and fraud. 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,160 The details of the alleged cheating are shocking. 4 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,740 Powerful parents accused of paying big money to rig their kids' college 5 00:00:17,740 --> 00:00:19,560 admissions. Fake test scores. 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,180 You wanted a perfect score in the SAT, that's what you got. 7 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:23,600 Fake athletic credentials. 8 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,020 He asked me how tall my son was, and then he asked me what my son weighed. 9 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:29,780 Getting rich kids in. 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,619 Shutting deserving students out. 11 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:34,140 I'm so scared. 12 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:35,839 The mastermind? 13 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,620 Admissions coach Rick Singer, who tries to build his brand with this video 14 00:00:40,620 --> 00:00:45,080 audition for a reality show. Just realize that this is a game. Playing on 15 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:46,360 parents' anxieties. 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:47,940 How come we're not doing this? 17 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,200 I heard this kid has a 3 .4 and they're going to get into Harvard. 18 00:00:51,620 --> 00:00:53,680 Singer exploits the system. 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:59,300 These colleges are so selective that it makes parents desperate. It makes them 20 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:03,920 crazy. He collects $25 million in a global fraud. 21 00:01:04,140 --> 00:01:05,900 The culture of corruption and greed. 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,280 Turning run -of -the -mill students into scholars and non -athletes into 23 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,080 champions. They were just such blatant, outright lies. 24 00:01:32,750 --> 00:01:34,450 It's a parade of the powerful. 25 00:01:36,710 --> 00:01:37,970 Corporate executives. 26 00:01:39,990 --> 00:01:41,030 Famous actors. 27 00:01:41,810 --> 00:01:47,550 An international press corps in full froth. But this isn't Hollywood, and 28 00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:48,970 there's no red carpet. 29 00:01:49,230 --> 00:01:54,070 This is Boston, and it's a scandal. 30 00:01:54,910 --> 00:01:58,050 The feds call it Operation Varsity Blues. 31 00:01:58,590 --> 00:02:00,210 We're here today to announce charges. 32 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,860 in the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of 33 00:02:04,860 --> 00:02:11,240 Justice. In March 2019, they accused the rich and powerful of paying this man to 34 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:17,040 cheat the system, buying off college coaches and test administrators, rigging 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,860 the college admissions process for their kids. Any message for your former 36 00:02:20,860 --> 00:02:21,860 athletes? 37 00:02:22,700 --> 00:02:27,440 We've charged 50 people. These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege. 38 00:02:28,410 --> 00:02:32,870 The outrage is swift and overwhelming. The story that everybody cannot stop 39 00:02:32,870 --> 00:02:36,410 talking about. Students whose parents are accused of bribing their way into 40 00:02:36,410 --> 00:02:37,730 of America's top colleges. 41 00:02:37,990 --> 00:02:41,190 It's just kind of like a slap in the face. That's just so incredibly unfair, 42 00:02:41,190 --> 00:02:43,590 it's taking a slap from someone who really deserves to be here and really 43 00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:44,329 to be here. 44 00:02:44,330 --> 00:02:47,070 You know, what I found fascinating is the desperation of these parents in some 45 00:02:47,070 --> 00:02:51,030 ways, right? These are people who are very wealthy and have a lot, like, at 46 00:02:51,030 --> 00:02:53,910 level you can think, like, your kids are going to be fine. They'll be fine. Send 47 00:02:53,910 --> 00:02:54,469 them anywhere. 48 00:02:54,470 --> 00:02:56,450 They are not victimless crimes. 49 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,520 For every student who gets in through deception, there is another student who 50 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:02,520 gets shut out. 51 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,420 In upstate New York, in the small town of Carthage, high school senior 52 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:21,460 Malcolm has been preparing her whole life for today, what is known as Ivy 53 00:03:22,570 --> 00:03:27,210 Ivy Day is the day when all the Ivy Leagues send your acceptances and 54 00:03:27,210 --> 00:03:28,370 to all the applicants. 55 00:03:28,730 --> 00:03:31,430 In 2018, the competition is intense. 56 00:03:32,690 --> 00:03:37,270 Top students across the country are waiting too. I'm honestly so anxious. 57 00:03:37,270 --> 00:03:39,950 is the most anxious I've ever been for anything in my life. 58 00:03:40,190 --> 00:03:43,650 Soon enough, many will be sharing their results with the world. 59 00:03:44,290 --> 00:03:48,250 Okay. Well, another rejection. Cool, cool. 60 00:03:54,270 --> 00:03:59,390 Dominique has applied to five Ivy League universities, and she thinks her 61 00:03:59,390 --> 00:04:00,390 prospects are good. 62 00:04:01,330 --> 00:04:04,170 Her grades are solid, and so is her resume. 63 00:04:05,690 --> 00:04:07,430 She is a student athlete. 64 00:04:07,850 --> 00:04:11,850 She has done volunteer work in Jamaica, helping needy families. 65 00:04:12,530 --> 00:04:15,750 She feels especially good about her chances at Yale. 66 00:04:16,230 --> 00:04:21,470 The year before, as a junior, she wins a prestigious award from the School for 67 00:04:21,470 --> 00:04:22,510 Community Service. 68 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:24,760 and attends the ceremony on campus. 69 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,920 And I went up to the front and shook the hand of the president, and he told me 70 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,000 that my application really stood out. So in my mind, I was like, Yale could be a 71 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:34,900 potential place for me. 72 00:04:35,100 --> 00:04:36,940 What's up, what's up, what's up? Is your girl down back? 73 00:04:37,820 --> 00:04:38,820 What's up, what's up? 74 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,600 You got it there. We got the whole family. 75 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,100 I'm FaceTime. Say what's up. 76 00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:50,520 It was not just me applying. It was all of us. So my success was their success. 77 00:04:51,490 --> 00:04:53,810 Shaking. Oh my gosh, I can't believe this right now. 78 00:04:54,090 --> 00:04:58,990 But it quickly becomes apparent that Ivy Day isn't going quite the way Dominique 79 00:04:58,990 --> 00:04:59,990 dreamed. 80 00:05:00,290 --> 00:05:01,350 We can get in. 81 00:05:01,650 --> 00:05:02,730 We can offer you. 82 00:05:02,970 --> 00:05:03,970 No. 83 00:05:04,430 --> 00:05:08,350 One by one, the Ivys are turning her down. 84 00:05:09,050 --> 00:05:10,190 Brown is a no. 85 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:14,590 This actually is like starting to go south. This is not what I imagined. 86 00:05:14,970 --> 00:05:16,570 I'm so scared. 87 00:05:17,090 --> 00:05:19,030 Including her dream school. 88 00:05:27,790 --> 00:05:31,050 You don't understand how much work was put in beforehand. 89 00:05:31,790 --> 00:05:35,190 It was just a lot of work that seemed like it was all for nothing. 90 00:05:38,030 --> 00:05:42,870 Around the same time, clear across the country in California, another high 91 00:05:42,870 --> 00:05:45,450 school senior is having a much different experience. 92 00:05:47,210 --> 00:05:48,290 Exciting playing show. 93 00:05:48,590 --> 00:05:50,550 Welcome to the studio, Olivia Jay. Hello. 94 00:05:51,630 --> 00:05:54,490 Olivia Jay Giannulli is an influencer. 95 00:05:55,790 --> 00:05:58,270 seen here on her own public YouTube channel. 96 00:05:59,070 --> 00:06:03,550 Sponsors pay her to push their products to her 2 million followers. 97 00:06:04,250 --> 00:06:10,770 Today, I get to reveal and announce my highlight palette 98 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:12,390 with Sephora Collection. 99 00:06:13,370 --> 00:06:18,950 Olivia, or at least the persona she presents online, is a little less 100 00:06:18,950 --> 00:06:19,950 about school. 101 00:06:20,230 --> 00:06:23,290 But I do want the experience of, like, game days, partying. 102 00:06:24,490 --> 00:06:26,890 I don't really care about school, as you guys all know. 103 00:06:27,510 --> 00:06:32,850 Just the same, in March of 2018, the same time Dominique is getting her 104 00:06:32,850 --> 00:06:39,510 rejections, Olivia gets into the school she was hoping for, the University of 105 00:06:39,510 --> 00:06:40,510 Southern California. 106 00:06:41,650 --> 00:06:47,950 With an acceptance rate of just 13%, USC is an elite school in its own right. 107 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:50,980 But Olivia has an edge. 108 00:06:51,260 --> 00:06:53,020 And your beautiful daughter is here today. 109 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:56,840 She is. Your two daughters are just dropping. Thank you. That's my Olivia. 110 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,340 got a YouTube channel, and she's here for Fashion Week. Of course she is. 111 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:05,440 Olivia's edge is not her famous parents, television star Lori Loughlin and 112 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,900 fashion designer Massimo Giannulli, though that pedigree probably doesn't 113 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,920 Her biggest advantage is admission coach Rick Singer. 114 00:07:15,470 --> 00:07:19,250 who promotes himself in this video audition for a reality show. 115 00:07:19,650 --> 00:07:24,030 My job is to life coach kids and families through the whole process of 116 00:07:24,030 --> 00:07:24,949 into college. 117 00:07:24,950 --> 00:07:29,850 In his Internet videos, Rick Singer aims his pitch directly to parents. 118 00:07:30,490 --> 00:07:35,530 As a father myself, I understand the threat the college admissions process 119 00:07:35,530 --> 00:07:36,530 put on your family. 120 00:07:36,590 --> 00:07:39,590 He is the college admission coach to the stars. 121 00:07:40,130 --> 00:07:43,430 You know, he had the gift of the gab, and he... 122 00:07:44,490 --> 00:07:47,530 persuaded people that he could get their kids into college. 123 00:07:48,030 --> 00:07:52,770 According to court filings, he hopes Olivia's older sister, Isabella, get 124 00:07:52,770 --> 00:07:53,770 USC as well. 125 00:07:54,150 --> 00:07:58,330 My sister goes to the same school, and we're pretty much inseparable, so it was 126 00:07:58,330 --> 00:08:00,130 nice, like, following in her footsteps a little bit. 127 00:08:00,590 --> 00:08:05,290 Husband and wife actors Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy hired him for their 128 00:08:05,290 --> 00:08:06,910 daughter, according to prosecutors. 129 00:08:08,970 --> 00:08:14,630 Wealthy business leaders, attorneys, executives all sign on for Singer's 130 00:08:14,630 --> 00:08:15,630 expertise. 131 00:08:16,550 --> 00:08:20,730 In his Internet videos, he makes it all sound simple. 132 00:08:21,310 --> 00:08:26,530 There is English, math, social science or social studies. 133 00:08:26,970 --> 00:08:29,070 His services don't come cheap. 134 00:08:29,490 --> 00:08:34,309 Basic coaching, which includes monthly sessions starting in ninth grade, can 135 00:08:34,309 --> 00:08:36,549 cost $5 ,000 a year. 136 00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:42,500 Other services cost more, like help on the student's college essay or test 137 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:47,460 preparation. Not bad for a guy whose own academic career is hardly stellar. 138 00:08:53,580 --> 00:08:59,360 Rick Singer grows up in the 1960s and 70s in the leafy Chicago suburb of 139 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:00,360 Lincolnwood. 140 00:09:01,470 --> 00:09:06,470 Gerald Turi is dean of students at Niles West High School when Singler attends 141 00:09:06,470 --> 00:09:11,850 in the 70s. He remembers Singer as a standout, but not in a good way. 142 00:09:12,410 --> 00:09:18,010 He was always looking for a shortcut, an angle on how to make something happen 143 00:09:18,010 --> 00:09:19,010 in his favor. 144 00:09:19,750 --> 00:09:25,010 Classmates remember Singer as a guy with a big personality and big hair. 145 00:09:26,170 --> 00:09:29,390 He's a jock who writes in his yearbook. 146 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:34,140 that he wants to be remembered for his outstanding personality and being able 147 00:09:34,140 --> 00:09:35,440 get along with others. 148 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,080 But Turi remembers him as a grade -A schmoozer who'd stop by the dean's 149 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,080 supposedly just to say hello. 150 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:51,020 If I waited long enough, when he'd come in to say hello, he'd fess 151 00:09:51,020 --> 00:09:55,800 up as to really why he was in there. You know, did you get a call from Mr. 152 00:09:56,020 --> 00:09:57,020 So -and -so yet? 153 00:09:57,580 --> 00:10:00,320 And I'd say, why, what happened? And then he'd tell me. 154 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:05,720 After high school, Singer bounces around a bit, goes to community college. 155 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:11,280 Then to tiny Our Lady of the Lake University in Texas, where he plays 156 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:12,280 basketball. 157 00:10:13,220 --> 00:10:18,940 He eventually transfers to Trinity University in San Antonio, where he 158 00:10:18,940 --> 00:10:22,720 football and baseball, earns a degree in English and phys ed. 159 00:10:23,020 --> 00:10:26,500 He tells the campus newspaper that he wants to coach. 160 00:10:27,290 --> 00:10:28,730 It doesn't go well. 161 00:10:28,970 --> 00:10:34,050 Singer loses two high school coaching jobs, one in Texas and one in 162 00:10:34,850 --> 00:10:39,490 Singer doesn't comment at the time, but local news reports in Sacramento say 163 00:10:39,490 --> 00:10:45,090 that parents complain about his feverish sideline antics and his abusive manner 164 00:10:45,090 --> 00:10:46,130 towards officials. 165 00:10:46,610 --> 00:10:52,050 But along the way, Singer learns about a different kind of coaching, where his 166 00:10:52,050 --> 00:10:54,130 brand of intensity might be appreciated. 167 00:10:55,180 --> 00:10:57,500 coaching students to get into college. 168 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:04,560 I think initially he was on the level, but he made mistakes. 169 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:12,680 Next on American Greed, Rick Singer is making a name for himself and making 170 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:19,140 waves. There's a line I would not cross to help my kids, and this was way over 171 00:11:19,140 --> 00:11:20,140 it. 172 00:11:36,270 --> 00:11:38,830 A college degree is a key to success. 173 00:11:40,170 --> 00:11:43,570 And for some parents, only the right college will do. 174 00:11:44,650 --> 00:11:49,890 There is just this obsession with getting your kids into elite colleges 175 00:11:49,890 --> 00:11:54,930 really can't necessarily be explained by rational calculation. 176 00:11:56,030 --> 00:12:01,190 Pulitzer Prize -winning journalist Daniel Golden's 2005 book about how rich 177 00:12:01,190 --> 00:12:05,550 parents buy their kids way into college gets an unexpected reception. 178 00:12:06,170 --> 00:12:11,090 I intended my book as a work of investigative reporting, and most 179 00:12:11,090 --> 00:12:15,090 would like to think, took it that way. But I would every so often get a call 180 00:12:15,090 --> 00:12:19,710 from somebody, and would I be willing to consult on how to get their kids into 181 00:12:19,710 --> 00:12:23,670 college? It was taken in some quarters as a how -to book. 182 00:12:24,190 --> 00:12:30,170 Golden says colleges know their Econ 101, including the law of supply and 183 00:12:30,170 --> 00:12:35,330 demand. Colleges have not increased their student bodies very much. You 184 00:12:35,330 --> 00:12:38,290 they don't have many more students than they did 15 or 20 years ago. 185 00:12:38,810 --> 00:12:40,930 It sets up a vicious cycle. 186 00:12:41,130 --> 00:12:46,110 The more students and parents obsess over these elite, highly selective 187 00:12:46,510 --> 00:12:48,370 the more elusive they become. 188 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:55,880 Desperate. It makes them crazy. 189 00:12:56,300 --> 00:12:59,960 In their desperation, Rick Singer sees opportunity. 190 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:04,820 He's living in Sacramento after flaming out as a high school basketball coach, 191 00:13:04,980 --> 00:13:10,500 but now he says he can coach your kid into college for a fee. 192 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:16,040 Rick Singer was the first person that Sacramento had seen who presented 193 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:17,600 as an educational consultant. 194 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,960 We had never heard of that profession. 195 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:25,020 Margie Amott first learns about Singer while volunteering at her daughter's 196 00:13:25,020 --> 00:13:31,420 school. Well, it turned out he was interesting, he was earnest, and he did 197 00:13:31,420 --> 00:13:34,620 that he knew how to go about it. 198 00:13:37,340 --> 00:13:41,140 Alexander Bering is an early client as a high school junior. 199 00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:44,920 I think it was probably in about 1997 or 1998. 200 00:13:46,140 --> 00:13:49,180 Bering says most of her friends use him, too. 201 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:55,580 And I probably knew 10 or 15 other kids that went to him for help with both 202 00:13:55,580 --> 00:14:01,460 focusing their college search and developing their own narrative and 203 00:14:01,460 --> 00:14:02,900 through with the whole application process. 204 00:14:06,220 --> 00:14:11,180 Singer comes to the house, helps keep Alexandra organized and focused. 205 00:14:12,140 --> 00:14:16,760 He gets her ready to take the essay team, and he helps with her college 206 00:14:17,140 --> 00:14:18,760 He knew those schools. 207 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,940 It was almost like he had a catalog of them in his head. 208 00:14:22,540 --> 00:14:25,380 And for a middle -class family, the price is right. 209 00:14:25,900 --> 00:14:29,040 About $1 ,500 for the whole package. 210 00:14:30,020 --> 00:14:34,460 I look back at what he provided for me and my family. He probably could have 211 00:14:34,460 --> 00:14:35,299 charged more. 212 00:14:35,300 --> 00:14:40,340 She says everything seems on the up and up, though Singer does have some quirks. 213 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,100 He seemed pretty tightly wound or intense. 214 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,060 I don't remember him laughing. 215 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,600 I'm sure he must have, but I don't remember that. It doesn't stick out in 216 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,620 mind. He always wore athletic gear. 217 00:14:54,340 --> 00:14:58,220 He always wore athletic gear, which I thought was kind of funny. He dressed 218 00:14:58,220 --> 00:14:58,899 a coach. 219 00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:03,640 The coach seems to be doing well, and the press is noticing. 220 00:15:03,860 --> 00:15:09,020 He tells the Sacramento Business Journal that he's cleared $1 million in 2004 221 00:15:09,020 --> 00:15:11,600 and expects to double that in 2005. 222 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:18,400 On his website, Singer boasts an advisory board of top educators, though 223 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,660 is no evidence the board actually exists. 224 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,520 And his site claims his company has 40 ,000 clients around the world. 225 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,980 And it's all part of the basic pitch. 226 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,540 He can get you into college. 227 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,680 That was always his comment. I can get you in. 228 00:15:35,020 --> 00:15:39,860 It works so well that by 2012, Singer shakes off Sacramento. 229 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,580 and moves to Newport Beach, where the real money is. 230 00:15:45,380 --> 00:15:51,000 Using the money he's made from anxious parents, he buys a $1 .5 million Tuscan 231 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,680 -style home, and he tunes up his online video pitches. 232 00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:59,760 My key method unlocks the full potential of your son or daughter. 233 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:04,640 Just as he coaches his students to do, he's building his personal brand, 234 00:16:04,900 --> 00:16:06,900 auditioning for a reality show. 235 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,380 The message in the video is what he's been telling clients for years. 236 00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:12,900 This is a game. 237 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,800 Just realize that this is a game. 238 00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:17,360 Working title, Chasing Ivy. 239 00:16:17,740 --> 00:16:21,120 So there's families all across the country that I work with. They send 240 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,640 plane to come pick me up, come to the meeting for a couple hours, two, three 241 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,040 hours, put me right back on the plane, send me to the next place I need to go. 242 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:29,200 It's amazing. 243 00:16:29,420 --> 00:16:31,240 The show never gets off the ground. 244 00:16:31,620 --> 00:16:34,300 But Rick Singer's career is flying high. 245 00:16:35,070 --> 00:16:39,710 He publishes two books about getting into college, puts out a series of self 246 00:16:39,710 --> 00:16:40,710 -help videos. 247 00:16:41,150 --> 00:16:46,950 The key to being a great student is mastering your work. He also unveils a 248 00:16:46,950 --> 00:16:51,510 to give back, establishing a charity to help underserved youth. 249 00:16:52,870 --> 00:16:58,610 According to its organizing documents, the Key Worldwide Foundation will 250 00:16:58,610 --> 00:17:03,250 resources to adolescents and young adults to inspire personal achievement. 251 00:17:03,930 --> 00:17:09,109 and it's seeking donations to accomplish its goals, like online education, 252 00:17:09,510 --> 00:17:16,250 educational workshops, athletic and dance competitions, with plans to expand 253 00:17:16,250 --> 00:17:17,410 across the country. 254 00:17:18,770 --> 00:17:24,069 But there is more to Singer's runaway success than meets the eye, and it may 255 00:17:24,069 --> 00:17:28,109 help explain his sudden move to Southern California in 2012. 256 00:17:28,950 --> 00:17:34,750 Back in Sacramento, Margie Amitt says, She smelled something fishy early on 257 00:17:34,750 --> 00:17:37,370 after hearing Singer make all those promises. 258 00:17:38,010 --> 00:17:43,130 His main pitch was always, I can get you into college, Jack. And I was just 259 00:17:43,130 --> 00:17:46,410 appalled because no ethical counselor can ever say that. 260 00:17:46,730 --> 00:17:52,410 In 1996, three years after Singer sets up shop, Emmett decides she can do 261 00:17:52,410 --> 00:17:55,910 better. She starts her own cottage consulting business. 262 00:17:56,210 --> 00:17:59,930 And for a time, she is Singer's only competition in town. 263 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:05,880 Almost immediately, she says she hears stories from former Singer clients, like 264 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,020 a mother who claims that Singer has filled out her son's application for 265 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:15,200 And it was filled with all these spectacular lies that he was in charge 266 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,140 basketball program at these two schools, and the school didn't even exist in 267 00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:23,300 Sacramento. They were just such blatant, outright lies. 268 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:29,000 In Southern California, away from the suspicious eyes of Sacramento, 269 00:18:29,770 --> 00:18:32,130 Singer is ready to make his next move. 270 00:18:33,370 --> 00:18:39,450 Up next, it turns out that Rick Singer's charity is not for the underprivileged. 271 00:18:39,570 --> 00:18:41,070 It was to help the most privileged. 272 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:05,640 athletes are a special breed. 273 00:19:06,060 --> 00:19:09,060 They're doing body weight training. They're running. 274 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,240 They're running hills and stadiums. 275 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,620 They'll meet to go for a run, say, at 6 in the morning, but then in the 276 00:19:16,620 --> 00:19:21,600 afternoon, practice for my group starts at 3 .15 and then it goes to 5 .45. 277 00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:27,300 High school rowing coach Andy O 'Brien in Boston says all the while they have 278 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:28,300 keep their grades up. 279 00:19:28,940 --> 00:19:31,700 More often than not, they tend to be top -tier students. 280 00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:36,670 There is a reward for all those early morning muscle -busting workouts. 281 00:19:37,250 --> 00:19:42,250 A truly outstanding athlete can get into college as an athletic recruit. 282 00:19:42,970 --> 00:19:45,890 Preference as an athlete is one of the biggest preferences in college 283 00:19:45,890 --> 00:19:48,810 admissions. That's tantamount to being admitted. 284 00:19:51,470 --> 00:19:55,810 In upstate New York, Dominique Malcolm isn't just an academic star. 285 00:19:56,270 --> 00:19:58,730 She's also a standout in three sports. 286 00:19:58,930 --> 00:20:01,410 Track. Volleyball and soccer. 287 00:20:01,690 --> 00:20:06,350 I definitely learned so much and had the best teams and the best memories. 288 00:20:06,610 --> 00:20:10,210 For a time, she considers going the recruited athlete route. 289 00:20:10,970 --> 00:20:15,490 Yale has a strong women's soccer program, and soccer is her best sport. 290 00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:19,890 My father and I sat down and talked about it could help you get in if you 291 00:20:19,890 --> 00:20:25,270 sport. In the end, she decides the odds against her getting in as an athlete are 292 00:20:25,270 --> 00:20:26,270 too great. 293 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,300 At the end of the day, I just wanted to focus on academics. 294 00:20:30,820 --> 00:20:35,720 But college admission coach Rick Singer has a way around all of that pesky hard 295 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,940 work that's normally required to get in as a recruited athlete. 296 00:20:41,020 --> 00:20:42,560 And he's pitching it hard. 297 00:20:42,900 --> 00:20:43,900 It's bizarre. 298 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:49,580 This parent hears the pitch in 2011 when he calls Singer for what he thinks will 299 00:20:49,580 --> 00:20:52,400 be standard college placement advice for his son. 300 00:20:53,390 --> 00:20:57,970 He asks American Greed to hide his identity in order to protect the friend 301 00:20:57,970 --> 00:20:58,970 referred him. 302 00:20:59,030 --> 00:21:02,190 We are 40 seconds into the call. 303 00:21:02,750 --> 00:21:07,370 Singer asks basic questions about his son's grade point average and test 304 00:21:08,110 --> 00:21:10,950 But the next question is not about academics. 305 00:21:11,370 --> 00:21:17,150 He hit me with the question of how tall my son was. I thought that was a bit 306 00:21:17,150 --> 00:21:21,250 strange. And he followed it up with asking how much my son weighed. 307 00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:25,900 Then Singer asks what sports the boy plays. 308 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,480 He inquired as to whether or not my son had played water polo. 309 00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:33,940 I told him my son had never played, was not familiar with the game, and he 310 00:21:33,940 --> 00:21:36,780 explained that that would not be disqualifying for him. 311 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:42,440 Finally, matter of factly, he cuts to the chase. My son could be admitted as a 312 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:43,940 member of this team. 313 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,420 The day he arrives on campus, he may attend one meeting possibly or be 314 00:21:49,420 --> 00:21:51,020 from the team the day he gets there. 315 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:56,200 He then proceeded to tell me that there would be a fee of $100 ,000 to make this 316 00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,820 happen. It's bizarre that this person has only known me for two or three 317 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:05,420 and laid out this very methodical plan to get my kid into college. 318 00:22:06,180 --> 00:22:09,200 It is a plan single will pitch hundreds of times. 319 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:14,600 For the right price, he can get a non -athlete designated as an athletic 320 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,940 recruit, guaranteeing their admission to a top -tier school. 321 00:22:19,690 --> 00:22:23,110 He tells parents that there are three doors to get into college. 322 00:22:23,350 --> 00:22:27,930 The front door is the old -fashioned way, through good grades and test 323 00:22:28,730 --> 00:22:31,570 The back door is by making a big donation. 324 00:22:32,270 --> 00:22:36,430 Singer is offering what he refers to as a side door. 325 00:22:36,890 --> 00:22:41,570 This side door option that Rick Singer concocted was basically where parents 326 00:22:41,570 --> 00:22:45,090 could pay to get their kids into schools as athletic recruits. 327 00:22:47,189 --> 00:22:50,410 Caroline Connolly is a crime reporter for NBC Boston. 328 00:22:51,090 --> 00:22:55,270 They would doctor up these fake resumes of all these athletic accolades and say, 329 00:22:55,310 --> 00:22:58,330 my kid plays this sport. And as soon as the kid got in, they would come up with 330 00:22:58,330 --> 00:22:59,950 something like an injury or whatever. 331 00:23:00,590 --> 00:23:04,690 They got in as an athletic recruit, and they were not athletic recruits. 332 00:23:05,390 --> 00:23:08,230 Coaches know the value of their recruited athlete slots. 333 00:23:08,770 --> 00:23:13,430 They aren't about to give away the golden tickets for free to a student who 334 00:23:13,430 --> 00:23:14,430 never play. 335 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:20,800 He had to get these coaches to agree for a sum of money to say my kid that is 336 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,520 coming in is a water polo recruit, a soccer recruit. 337 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,980 Not every parent is willing to have their kid use the side door. 338 00:23:29,340 --> 00:23:33,520 There's a line I would not cross to help my kids. 339 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:36,560 And this was way over it. 340 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:41,480 But according to prosecutors, many dive right in. 341 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:46,180 Including California businessman Devin Sloan. 342 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,340 He's the founder of a water treatment company. 343 00:23:49,660 --> 00:23:54,100 And he apparently liked the idea of his son pretending to play water polo. 344 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,520 So Sloan fires up his Amazon account. 345 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,900 He basically went on there and bought water polo equipment. I think he bought 346 00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:02,900 ball. 347 00:24:03,909 --> 00:24:08,850 staged his son in photographs, and then actually hired a graphic designer to 348 00:24:08,850 --> 00:24:12,930 then Photoshop his son into different pool settings, jumping out of the water. 349 00:24:13,090 --> 00:24:17,810 But it turns out the design team knows even less about water polo than Sloan's 350 00:24:17,810 --> 00:24:18,769 son does. 351 00:24:18,770 --> 00:24:22,030 He sends the photo to Rick Singer, and Rick Singer even says, oh, hey, man, 352 00:24:22,030 --> 00:24:24,610 actually a little too high out of the water. Like, no water polo can play that 353 00:24:24,610 --> 00:24:25,610 well. 354 00:24:25,730 --> 00:24:29,870 Sloan sends the graphic designers back to the drawing board for a more 355 00:24:29,870 --> 00:24:30,870 Photoshop. 356 00:24:31,180 --> 00:24:35,960 And soon enough, his son is admitted to USC as a water polo recruit. 357 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,900 Sloan's total cost, according to court filings, $250 ,000. 358 00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:46,320 Water polo gear and graphic design team, not included. 359 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:53,140 For actress Lori Loughlin's daughters Isabella and Olivia, the sport of choice 360 00:24:53,140 --> 00:24:54,140 is crew. 361 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,480 But to hear Olivia describe it on her YouTube channel, she doesn't seem to 362 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,560 follow the typical rowing regimen. 363 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,340 That's it. I just signed up for a Pilates class. 364 00:25:03,540 --> 00:25:08,240 I haven't worked out in so freaking long since before Coachella. 365 00:25:08,660 --> 00:25:13,360 According to court filings, Singer works with the family to stage photos of the 366 00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:17,640 girls sitting on rowing machines to bolster their applications to USC. 367 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:24,020 Their applications claim they belong to the prestigious Marina Aquatic Center 368 00:25:24,020 --> 00:25:28,140 near Los Angeles, though there is no evidence they ever set foot there. 369 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:35,000 Laughlin and her fashion designer husband, Massimo Giannulli, deny 370 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,680 themselves or their daughters. 371 00:25:36,940 --> 00:25:41,080 Through a spokesperson, the entire family declines to speak to American 372 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,060 According to prosecutors, Singer's rowing scheme works. 373 00:25:45,660 --> 00:25:47,280 And both daughters get in. 374 00:25:47,620 --> 00:25:51,080 But once they arrive, neither joins the crew team. 375 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,820 Doing things in college gives you a whole new perspective. 376 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,140 Totally. I know. It's like the coolest thing, getting DMs from girls. Like, I'm 377 00:25:57,140 --> 00:26:00,320 applying to college right now. Like, what did you do? All this stuff. It's 378 00:26:01,420 --> 00:26:04,040 Next on American Greed, the college admissions scandal. 379 00:26:04,260 --> 00:26:05,640 It's a national outrage. 380 00:26:05,860 --> 00:26:10,680 But will anything change? I'm not sure that the colleges necessarily hate all 381 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,200 this publicity about the skin. 382 00:26:25,930 --> 00:26:29,770 Nearly 30 years since Lori Loughlin made her debut in one of America's most 383 00:26:29,770 --> 00:26:31,570 beloved families sitcoms, Full House. 384 00:26:31,830 --> 00:26:34,430 By the way, look at you with your lovely daughter, Isabella. 385 00:26:35,050 --> 00:26:36,050 Hi. 386 00:26:37,310 --> 00:26:41,070 Actress Lori Loughlin has carefully cultivated a wholesome image. 387 00:26:41,350 --> 00:26:45,990 And lately, that includes mom to two college -bound daughters. Beautiful. I 388 00:26:45,990 --> 00:26:48,350 can't wait. Isabella, are you going off to college and leaving your mom? 389 00:26:48,770 --> 00:26:49,770 Yes. 390 00:26:50,590 --> 00:26:51,770 In 2017. 391 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:57,860 Older daughter Isabella is headed from the family's $15 million mansion in Bel 392 00:26:57,860 --> 00:27:01,000 Air, 15 miles away to USC. 393 00:27:01,460 --> 00:27:03,340 I think I'm in complete denial. 394 00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:07,300 I really am, because when I think about it too much, it will make me cry. Yeah, 395 00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:08,300 I got to stop. 396 00:27:08,980 --> 00:27:11,900 Younger daughter Olivia will follow a year later. 397 00:27:12,220 --> 00:27:16,800 I'm so happy they made me go. That sounds so terrible. They didn't make me. 398 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,760 girls get in with the help of college admissions consultant Rick Singer. 399 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,380 who, according to court filings, positions them as recruits for the 400 00:27:26,580 --> 00:27:30,720 even though they're more familiar with J. Crew than rowing crew. 401 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,420 They're not the only Hollywood family that turns to Singer. 402 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:40,600 Husband and wife actors Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy are looking for 403 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,260 help with their daughter Sophia's upcoming SAT. 404 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,560 Unbeknownst to Sophia, they have Singer over to the house to explain another 405 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:49,560 service he offers. 406 00:27:50,460 --> 00:27:55,620 For the right price, he can make any student score like an academic all 407 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,460 So if you wanted a 31 on the ACT, that's what you got. If you wanted a perfect 408 00:27:59,460 --> 00:28:01,000 score on the SAT, that's what you got. 409 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:05,120 First step, the student applies for extra time to take the exam. 410 00:28:05,540 --> 00:28:09,480 It's a special accommodation meant for students with learning disabilities or 411 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:10,700 other special needs. 412 00:28:11,220 --> 00:28:16,180 And it enables them to compete on even terms with students who don't have that 413 00:28:16,180 --> 00:28:18,040 disability and can do it faster. 414 00:28:18,620 --> 00:28:23,780 To get approval for extra time, Singer sets his clients up with a psychologist 415 00:28:23,780 --> 00:28:26,260 who can get them the diagnosis they need. 416 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,300 Rick Singer actually told one parent, make sure your daughter seems really 417 00:28:29,300 --> 00:28:30,300 stupid. 418 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:35,580 Next, they make up a story about a vacation or a family function so the 419 00:28:35,580 --> 00:28:38,220 can't take the test at the regularly scheduled location. 420 00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:44,660 Instead, they go to one of two test centers in Houston or West Hollywood. 421 00:28:45,370 --> 00:28:47,910 And what he would do is to say to the parents, you've got to get your kid out 422 00:28:47,910 --> 00:28:52,450 there. Sophia Macy goes to the West Hollywood Center to take her SAT. 423 00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:58,790 Like all test centers, there is a proctor on hand to make sure nobody 424 00:28:59,730 --> 00:29:04,450 But at this center, and the one in Houston, neither of which has been 425 00:29:04,450 --> 00:29:08,610 with wrongdoing, Rick Singer has bought off the person in charge. 426 00:29:09,810 --> 00:29:10,850 And the proctor? 427 00:29:11,110 --> 00:29:13,530 He's been flown in special from Florida. 428 00:29:13,980 --> 00:29:19,460 He's a Harvard graduate named Mark Riddell, and prosecutors say he's on 429 00:29:19,460 --> 00:29:23,000 payroll. Riddell is not here to stop cheating. 430 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:25,900 He's here to facilitate it. 431 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,160 Mark Riddell was just smart enough to get whatever score parents wanted to pay 432 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:31,160 for. 433 00:29:31,340 --> 00:29:37,140 For students whose parents pay the price, Riddell will correct their 434 00:29:37,140 --> 00:29:39,580 simply take the exam for them. 435 00:29:40,719 --> 00:29:46,100 Sophia Macy's SAT score is a 40 % improvement over the PSAT she took the 436 00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:47,100 before. 437 00:29:47,260 --> 00:29:51,780 And it costs her parents the bargain price of $15 ,000. 438 00:29:52,940 --> 00:29:58,500 The test -taking scheme is the affordable option with a top price of 439 00:29:59,540 --> 00:30:04,040 The recruited athlete approach can run into the hundreds of thousands or more. 440 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,200 Both carry a benefit beyond just getting your kid into college. 441 00:30:11,060 --> 00:30:13,320 Remember Singer's charitable foundation? 442 00:30:13,620 --> 00:30:17,640 The one that's supposed to be sponsoring academic workshops and dance 443 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:18,640 competitions? 444 00:30:19,660 --> 00:30:24,660 That's where the parents send their money, which means all this cheating is 445 00:30:24,660 --> 00:30:25,660 tax write -off. 446 00:30:25,740 --> 00:30:28,940 Wealthy parents were just paying to get their kids into whatever school they 447 00:30:28,940 --> 00:30:33,300 wanted, and they were saying it was to help underprivileged kids. It was to 448 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:34,300 the most privileged. 449 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,960 But Singer's biggest payday comes from China. 450 00:30:38,540 --> 00:30:42,660 $6 .5 million from the mother of Yuzi Zhao. 451 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:48,420 Her daughter posts on social media that it was hard work that got her into 452 00:30:48,420 --> 00:30:53,420 Stanford. The mother, who hasn't been charged, says Singer duped her. 453 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,560 He had desperate parents eager to get their kids in by any means possible. 454 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:02,140 He had coaches willing to take a bribe to give these kids a huge advantage. 455 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,260 And he had administrations that weren't really paying attention. 456 00:31:06,110 --> 00:31:08,950 There is just one thing he hasn't counted on. 457 00:31:10,570 --> 00:31:15,770 Next on American Green, a wealthy investor who is about to make the trade 458 00:31:15,770 --> 00:31:18,050 life. And I don't even think Maury Tobin knew what he had. 459 00:31:32,310 --> 00:31:36,960 Rick. Singer turns parents anxieties about their children getting into 460 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:42,960 into an empire complete with books and videos promoting his services. 461 00:31:43,220 --> 00:31:46,740 So getting in has to do with getting involved in your brand. 462 00:31:46,980 --> 00:31:53,860 His clientele includes movie stars and multimillionaires for $75 463 00:31:53,860 --> 00:31:54,860 ,000. 464 00:31:55,230 --> 00:31:59,450 Gordon Kaplan, the co -chairman of an international law firm, gets his 465 00:31:59,450 --> 00:32:03,910 an ACT score of 32 out of a possible 36. 466 00:32:05,450 --> 00:32:12,170 Silicon Valley real estate developer Bruce Isaacson pays $600 ,000 to get one 467 00:32:12,170 --> 00:32:17,870 daughter into UCLA as a soccer recruit and another daughter into USC as a 468 00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:20,490 recruit with a 31 on her ACT. 469 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,740 For Augustin Unais, the scion of his family's international wine business, 470 00:32:26,740 --> 00:32:33,600 cost is $300 ,000 to get his daughter into USC as a water polo recruit, with 471 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,480 SAT score in the top 5 % in the country. 472 00:32:37,450 --> 00:32:42,090 I'm Jane Buckingham. I have two kids. Jane Buckingham is a marketing executive 473 00:32:42,090 --> 00:32:45,390 who sells herself as an expert on parenting. 474 00:32:45,650 --> 00:32:49,630 Every working mom comes to me and says, how do I do it all? Well, guess what? 475 00:32:49,750 --> 00:32:56,330 You can't. No one is superwoman. On Instagram, she posts the words, don't 476 00:32:56,670 --> 00:33:03,390 But she pays $50 ,000 to get her son a near -perfect score, 35 out of 36 on his 477 00:33:03,390 --> 00:33:04,390 ACT. 478 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:08,420 They want to do anything they can for their kid, and they have the money to 479 00:33:08,420 --> 00:33:09,420 it happen. 480 00:33:10,140 --> 00:33:13,860 Los Angeles investor and parent Maury Tobin has money, too. 481 00:33:15,100 --> 00:33:18,060 But in 2018, he has a problem. 482 00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:23,700 Federal investigators in Boston have him dead to rights in a stock fraud case. 483 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,680 It was a pump and dump scheme, if you will, and it led them to this financial 484 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,240 executive out in California who they're looking into. 485 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:36,640 Hoping for leniency, Tobin tells agents that he's heard stories about the woman 486 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:42,660 soccer coach at Yale, Rudy Meredith, taking bribes to get girls in as 487 00:33:42,660 --> 00:33:48,240 athletes. To prove it, Tobin agrees to meet with Meredith and wear a wire. 488 00:33:48,740 --> 00:33:50,620 They met in a Boston hotel room. 489 00:33:50,820 --> 00:33:53,800 The Yale soccer coach had no idea he was being filmed and recorded. 490 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,260 And Maury Tobin sets him up. 491 00:33:56,910 --> 00:34:01,890 Tobin says he's interested in using the side door to get his daughter into Yale 492 00:34:01,890 --> 00:34:03,270 as a soccer recruit. 493 00:34:03,710 --> 00:34:09,330 According to transcripts filed in court, Meredith says it will cost $450 ,000. 494 00:34:09,850 --> 00:34:15,969 Some for himself and some for a consultant he works with named Rick 495 00:34:16,270 --> 00:34:20,210 And that's when these investigators were listening that, who's Rick Singer? 496 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,900 Massachusetts U .S. Attorney Andrew Lelling and his team get a warrant to 497 00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:28,900 Singer's phones. 498 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:34,739 One of the first calls they intercept is between Singer and Gordon Kaplan, the 499 00:34:34,739 --> 00:34:35,739 law firm chairman. 500 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:37,880 They hear Singer laying out his scam. 501 00:34:38,460 --> 00:34:43,360 What we do is we help the wealthiest families get their kids into school. 502 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:47,139 If the FBI wanted an explanation of this case, that was a perfect conversation 503 00:34:47,139 --> 00:34:50,920 to get it from because Gordon Kaplan and Rick Singer are just detailing how the 504 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:51,920 whole thing works. 505 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,940 Singer explains the side door and the test cheating scheme. 506 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:00,860 He says he's gotten nearly 800 students in that year alone. 507 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:02,920 Never fails. It works all the time. 508 00:35:03,260 --> 00:35:09,120 In another call, parenting guru Jane Buckingham is in disbelief about all 509 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,660 Singer has managed to do to get her son into an elite school. 510 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:15,980 I know this is craziness. I know it is. 511 00:35:16,590 --> 00:35:18,830 And then I need you to get him into USC. 512 00:35:19,130 --> 00:35:23,530 And then I need you to cure cancer and make peace in the Middle East. 513 00:35:24,410 --> 00:35:26,730 Rick Singer laughs and says, of course, of course. 514 00:35:27,610 --> 00:35:32,710 By the fall of 2018, prosecutors have the evidence they need to move in on 515 00:35:32,710 --> 00:35:35,150 Singer. And Singer sings. 516 00:35:35,870 --> 00:35:40,950 He names the names of high -power, high -profile parents and college coaches and 517 00:35:40,950 --> 00:35:41,950 administrators. 518 00:35:42,670 --> 00:35:46,890 And he agrees to go undercover, calling parents with a script aimed at getting 519 00:35:46,890 --> 00:35:49,670 them to unwillingly incriminate themselves. 520 00:35:50,330 --> 00:35:55,490 They make Rick Singer call every parent, and they record him, and they have him 521 00:35:55,490 --> 00:35:56,730 pretend he's being audited. 522 00:35:57,330 --> 00:36:00,910 Winery owner Augustin Yuneas is among the first calls. 523 00:36:01,490 --> 00:36:06,350 Singer wants to make sure that if the IRS calls, Yuneas will tell them his 524 00:36:06,350 --> 00:36:08,890 payment was for charity, not for cheating. 525 00:36:10,100 --> 00:36:12,560 Dude, what do you think? I'm a moron? 526 00:36:12,820 --> 00:36:14,400 Of course I'll lie. I don't care. 527 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,260 Lori Loughlin is allegedly on board, too. 528 00:36:17,660 --> 00:36:22,560 So we just have to say we made a donation to your foundation, and that's 529 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,319 of story. 530 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,880 We'll of course say this was to help underprivileged kids, and we're fine 531 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,420 that. We're comfortable with that being the storyline. 532 00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:34,660 Parent after parent falls in line and falls into the trap. 533 00:36:35,710 --> 00:36:39,310 But Bruce Isaacson, the real estate developer, is nervous. 534 00:36:39,750 --> 00:36:42,870 I'm not going to do this over the phone. I don't know if they're tapping my 535 00:36:42,870 --> 00:36:45,190 phone. He actually says, I don't know if they're tapping my phone or what. 536 00:36:46,530 --> 00:36:50,950 Isaacson has paid for most of his donation using Facebook stock. 537 00:36:51,290 --> 00:36:56,030 And he's apparently worried the feds might trace the money. So Singer agrees 538 00:36:56,030 --> 00:36:57,370 come talk it over in person. 539 00:36:58,070 --> 00:36:59,270 He's wearing a wire. 540 00:36:59,750 --> 00:37:04,550 Bruce Isaacson, to me, seems to be the parent who is most cognizant of what... 541 00:37:04,890 --> 00:37:06,630 could happen if people knew about this. 542 00:37:07,110 --> 00:37:10,150 Isaacson seems worried that the whole thing is going to get out. 543 00:37:10,490 --> 00:37:13,350 Is this going to be this front -page story? 544 00:37:13,970 --> 00:37:16,950 The embarrassment to the communities. Oh, my God. 545 00:37:18,330 --> 00:37:20,470 Now Isaacson faces a dilemma. 546 00:37:20,970 --> 00:37:25,870 He has a third daughter getting ready for college, and he had been considering 547 00:37:25,870 --> 00:37:27,330 buying some help for her. 548 00:37:28,090 --> 00:37:32,530 But now the scrutiny is on, and the potential consequences are clear. 549 00:37:33,420 --> 00:37:38,440 He could simply have her try to get into college legitimately, but let's not get 550 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:39,440 carried away. 551 00:37:40,780 --> 00:37:47,040 This time he tells Singer, I think we'll definitely pay with cash, but he won't 552 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:48,040 get that chance. 553 00:37:48,700 --> 00:37:52,160 When American Greed returns, the scandal explodes. 554 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,300 We're hearing Aunt Becky from Full House could be involved. 555 00:38:08,490 --> 00:38:10,090 March 12th, 2019. 556 00:38:11,230 --> 00:38:13,590 Something is brewing in Boston. 557 00:38:14,090 --> 00:38:17,910 We're hearing there might be some story coming out of the U .S. Attorney's 558 00:38:17,910 --> 00:38:20,850 Office. We're hearing Aunt Becky from Full House could be involved. 559 00:38:21,390 --> 00:38:25,190 U .S. Attorney Andrew Lelling steps in front of the cameras. 560 00:38:25,450 --> 00:38:30,070 We're here today to announce charges in the largest college admissions scam ever 561 00:38:30,070 --> 00:38:31,730 prosecuted by the Department of Justice. 562 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:36,340 Fifty -one people, coaches, parents, and others are charged with crimes, 563 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,740 including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. 564 00:38:40,300 --> 00:38:43,380 Rick Singer appears in court the same day. 565 00:38:43,660 --> 00:38:45,620 He comes in in this, like, blue windbreaker. 566 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:46,840 He looks tired. 567 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:51,920 In a plea bargain in exchange for his cooperation, he pleads guilty to four 568 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,980 criminal counts, including conspiracy and obstruction of justice. 569 00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:00,600 He tells the judge he is absolutely responsible. 570 00:39:01,370 --> 00:39:03,250 He put everything in place. 571 00:39:03,630 --> 00:39:05,150 And he just admits to it all. 572 00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:11,450 He really didn't seem bothered by what he had done. He just kind of told us 573 00:39:11,450 --> 00:39:14,870 happened. He faces up to 20 years in prison. 574 00:39:15,470 --> 00:39:19,190 Through his attorney, Rick Singer declines to speak to American Greed. 575 00:39:19,790 --> 00:39:24,530 Mark Riddell, the cricket test proctor, pleads guilty to conspiracy too. 576 00:39:24,750 --> 00:39:26,690 Mark, do you have any remorse for taking the test? 577 00:39:29,010 --> 00:39:30,730 So does Rudy Meredith. 578 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:32,880 the Yale women's soccer coach. 579 00:39:33,180 --> 00:39:38,160 Of the 34 parents charged, several plead guilty to conspiracy charges. 580 00:39:38,540 --> 00:39:44,840 They include Devin Sloan, who fabricated his son's water polo picture, developer 581 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:51,700 Bruce Isaacson, Augustin Huneis, and parenting expert 582 00:39:51,700 --> 00:39:53,120 Jane Buckingham. 583 00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:59,560 Attorney Gordon Kaplan pleads guilty to conspiracy and is fired by his law firm. 584 00:40:00,580 --> 00:40:06,080 Felicity Huffman pleads guilty to conspiracy, and she issues an apology to 585 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,980 students who work hard every day to get into college. 586 00:40:10,060 --> 00:40:15,420 Her husband is not charged. Both declined to speak to American Greed. 587 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:17,460 Lori, pay for my tuition! 588 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:23,080 Lori! But Lori Loughlin and her husband, Massimo Giannulli, vow to fight the 589 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:24,080 charges in court. 590 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:29,840 And as she's walking in, she stops to shake hands and thank fans and smiles 591 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:31,160 them as she's coming in. 592 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:35,380 The couple pleads not guilty to multiple conspiracy counts. 593 00:40:36,300 --> 00:40:41,120 But Lachlan is dropped from her TV series on the Hallmark Channel and 594 00:40:42,140 --> 00:40:47,700 Isabella and Olivia are not charged, but Olivia loses her influencer gigs with 595 00:40:47,700 --> 00:40:49,000 Sephora and Tresemme. 596 00:40:50,810 --> 00:40:56,250 USC says it puts Olivia's and Isabella's status on hold while it reviews every 597 00:40:56,250 --> 00:41:01,310 student linked to Singer. They can't register for class, but they can't drop 598 00:41:01,310 --> 00:41:02,310 either. 599 00:41:03,610 --> 00:41:05,850 Prosecutors say their investigation continues. 600 00:41:06,070 --> 00:41:09,610 They won't rule out charging students or schools. 601 00:41:11,510 --> 00:41:14,930 Eight elite colleges are touched by the scandal. 602 00:41:15,650 --> 00:41:17,690 Georgetown. Stanford. 603 00:41:18,380 --> 00:41:20,200 The University of Texas at Austin. 604 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:22,620 The University of San Diego. 605 00:41:23,260 --> 00:41:25,640 UCLA. Wake Forest. 606 00:41:26,020 --> 00:41:28,160 Yale. And USC. 607 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:31,620 All deny knowing about the fraud. 608 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:35,260 They launch investigations and promise reforms. 609 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:39,920 Daniel Golden is skeptical. 610 00:41:40,710 --> 00:41:45,070 I'm not sure that the colleges necessarily hate all this publicity 611 00:41:45,070 --> 00:41:48,670 scandal. I mean, if you think about it, the underlying message of Operation 612 00:41:48,670 --> 00:41:53,590 Varsity Blues is that, you know, our top colleges are so desirable that our 613 00:41:53,590 --> 00:41:56,930 richest and most powerful people will do absolutely anything to get their kids 614 00:41:56,930 --> 00:41:57,930 into them. 615 00:42:00,410 --> 00:42:06,450 Back in Carthage, New York, on Ivy Day, Dominic Malcolm has one last chance from 616 00:42:06,450 --> 00:42:07,690 one last school. 617 00:42:11,530 --> 00:42:13,370 The University of Pennsylvania. 618 00:42:16,810 --> 00:42:23,750 She's in the Ivy League after all, but 619 00:42:23,750 --> 00:42:25,790 she knows she is lucky. 620 00:42:28,150 --> 00:42:32,370 You have to think about the ones that worked as hard as I did and didn't get 621 00:42:33,070 --> 00:42:38,110 So many students, like, their dream is to go to an Ivy League. I never, I never 622 00:42:38,110 --> 00:42:39,110 saw that coming. 623 00:42:39,710 --> 00:42:43,370 That people weren't even trying at all. They were just paying their way in. 624 00:42:43,490 --> 00:42:45,490 Like, to me, it's insane.