Felicity Huffman and 13 other defendants will plead guilty in the high-profile college admissions scandal, ABC News reports. In a statement released on Monday, the Department of Justice says Huffman is one of 14 defendants who has decided to plead guilty “to charges of mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.”
The plea comes five days after Huffman and other wealthy parents—including Lori Loughlin— appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston. In March, they were accused of allegedly being involved in a $25 million scheme to get their children into prestigious colleges. Later, 50 people, including Huffman and Loughlin, were charged in the cheating scandal. The Desperate Housewives star pleaded guilty on Monday to paying $15,000 to Rick Singer to have her eldest daughter take the SAT with a proctor who then corrected her answers when the test was over, the Massachusetts DOJ affidavit says.
She could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. According to CNN, federal prosecutors will recommend the minimum prison sentence, a $20,000 fine, and 12 months of “supervised release” in exchange for Huffman’s plea. They will not include any other charges, but a federal judge will have the final say on Huffman’s and the other defendants' outcome.
Felicity Huffman statement: "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.” https://t.co/r4UxdrvFjupic.twitter.com/L3Wozk9Y2R
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) April 8, 2019
“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office,” Huffman said in a statement, per ABC News. “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 colleagues and the educational community.”
In her statement, she also apologized to anyone affect by her actions.
“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.”
According to Huffman’s statement, her daughter didn’t know what was happening behind the scenes.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her,” Huffman said. “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.”
As of right now, only 50 people have been charged in the cheating scandal.