College admissions adviser William “Rick” Singer, who orchestrated the college admissions scandal, was instructed by law enforcement to call multiple clients and implicate them in the scheme after it was uncovered.
Singer, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges last week, started to cooperate with federal investigators in September 2018 and made a total of 34 calls to clients and recorded those conversations under the instruction of law enforcement.
In each of the recorded and set up phone calls, he told the parents that the IRS was auditing his foundation. He told clients he would tell the IRS that the money was being used for charity, instead of telling them it funded his scheme to help students cheat on their SATs and bribe college coaches to get them into select schools.
According to the complaint, multiple parents acknowledged on those recorded calls that they were aware of the scam, and agreed with his plan not to reveal the truth during his alleged IRS audit, according to CNN.
Singer allegedly called Napa vineyard owner Agustin Huneeus in November 2018 to tell him that he wouldn’t share with the IRS the $50,000 payment used to cheat on Huneeus’ daughter’s SATs. Rather, Singer said he wanted to check with Huneeus so he could say the money went to underserved children.
“Dude, dude, what do you think, I’m a moron?” Huneeus, who was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, said in response.
“I got it, [Rick ]— I got it,” Huneeus said. “I’m going to say that I’ve been inspired how you’re helping underprivileged kids get into college. Totally got it.”
Singer was also charged with obstruction of justice in October for giving some clients a heads up that he would call them and it would be recorded for prosecutors. Singer pleaded guilty to the charge last week in a federal court in Boston.
A total of 50 people were indicted in connection to the college admissions scandal, including actress Lori Loughlin and her husband. The couple allegedly paid $500,000 in bribes to university officials to secure spots for their daughters at the University of Southern California.
Other schools involved in the scandal include Stanford University, Georgetown University, Yale University, and others.
[Related: Netflix boots Lori Loughlin over college bribery charge]
