College admissions scam: Some USC students frustrated over plea deals
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At the University of Southern California campus, students expressed frustration over the plea deals being made in the college admissions cheating scandal.
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office played "Let's Make a Deal," cutting plea bargains with 13 parents accused of getting their kids into prestigious colleges through bribes. One of the university coaches charged in the scam also cut a deal.
"Me, personally, I've come from a background where, you know, my parents weren't the most fortunate, so I definitely had to work for what I have," shared USC student Francisco Rodriguez. "It's kind of upsetting if you see that."
Student Mark Parent said he feels cheated.
"To everyone that did get in and who didn't get in, we feel like we were cheated because other people didn't work as hard or took away spots from people that worked harder than they did, and its kind of frustrating," he said.
The biggest name was actress Felicity Huffman, charged with paying an Orange County college fixer $15,000 to boost her daughter's SAT score.
College Admissions Scandal: Felicity Huffman to plead guilty in alleged scam
Huffman release this statement below:
"I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office.
I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.
I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.
My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty."
It's unclear what the deal actually is. The crimes carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. In Huffman's deal, prosecutors said they will recommend a $20,000 fine and that the judge sentence her to the low-end of the sentencing guidelines, which was not spelled out.
Meantime, missing from the plea deal list was actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli. They're accused of shelling out half a million dollars to get their two daughters into USC as crew team members.
