Sailing coach gets 1 day in prison in college admissions scandal

Former Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer was sentenced to one day in prison Wednesday for his role in the college admissions scandal.

A judge ordered Vandemoer to serve two years of probation, with the first six months in home confinement.

He is the first to be sentenced in the scheme, which involved dozens of wealthy parents paying to get their children into elite colleges by bribing coaches or cheating on admissions exams.

Vandemoer, 41, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for agreeing to take $610,000 in bribes.

Coaches helped to get students into the colleges by claiming they were student athletes, despite the applicants not even playing those sports. Vandemoer agreed to designate two students as recruits in exchange for $110,000 and $500,000.

Prosecutors asked for the former coach to be sentenced to 13 months in prison. His lawyers requested leniency, saying he deserved probation because he’s a “fundamentally decent man” who regrets his mistakes. They also argued that Vandemoer never kept any of the money for himself. Instead, he used it to pay for sailing team uniforms, equipment, and an assistant coach.

More than a dozen parents involved the scam have also pleaded guilty, including actress Felicity Huffman. Actress Lori Loughlin is fighting the charges against her.

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