A Palo Alto couple have agreed to plead guilty to charges in connection with the 2019 Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.
Gregory Colburn, 63, and Amy Colburn, 61, allegedly paid William "Rick" Singer $25,000 to improve their son's SAT score; part of a nationwide conspiracy that secured students positions in top universities.
The Colburns will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, and have agreed to spend eight weeks in prison. They are expected to serve one year of supervised release with 100 hours of community service following the prison sentence and will pay a fine of $12,500 each, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement.
Gregory Colburn and Amy Colburn will be the 36th and 37th parents in the "Varsity Blues" case to either plead guilty or be convicted by a jury, including others in the Bay Area.
The massive scandal received national attention in 2019 when it was exposed that wealthy parents were bribing admissions officials and coaches at elite schools to give their children an advantage in the admissions process.
A charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud can warrant a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.
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