The scheme was allegedly orchestrated by William “Rick” Singer, a Newport Beach businessman and college preparatory consultant who pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of fraud, racketeering, money laundering and obstruction of justice. But the man accused of actually taking the exams, or tweaking the answers later, is Riddell, a test prep whiz touted to parents as the “best test-taker” who could “nail a score.
“I want to communicate to everyone that I am profoundly sorry for the damage I have done and grief I have caused those as a result of my needless actions,” Riddell said Wednesday in a statement released through his attorney. “I understand how my actions contributed to a loss of trust in the college admissions process.”“Just a really smart guy,” Andrew Lelling, U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The academy, which boasts celebrity alumni including Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, Jim Courier and Anna Kournikova, issued a short statement Tuesday evening, saying Riddell had been suspended indefinitely. including Hollywood celebrities, real estate developers, a fashion designer and a Napa vineyard ownerIn some cases, Riddell helped teenagers answer questions during the exam, prosecutors allege. In others, prosecutors said, he corrected answers after they had completed the test. In one instance, he allegedly completed an entire exam without the student’s knowledge.
In June 2018, prosecutors allege, Singer agreed to accept $50,000 from a Los Angeles parent, Jane Buckingham, a chief executive officer of a boutique marketing company, in exchange for having her son take the ACT exam at a public high school in Houston. Riddell flew to Houston to take the test in a hotel room and returned to Tampa the same day, according to prosecutors.Riddell had scored a 35 on the test, prosecutors allege. Buckingham then wired Singer $35,000, a partial payment toward the agreed-upon fee of $50,000, according to prosecutors.
Everything needs a break at some point. Less social media gossiping and Cyberbullying. If only Yelp, Google reviews and Scamming YouTube vloggers would stop
Given the parlous state of education in the basket country, I'll wager we have our own Mark Riddells.
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