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Facts and Background
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On March 12, 2019, the public announcement of the nationwide collegiate admissions
scandal has shaken the foundation of the higher education system. The conspiracy became the
largest college admissions cheating scam prosecuted by the DOJ dated back to 2011. What
became known as Operation Varsity Blues by the FBI involved many wealthy and influential
parents from celebrities, business executives, and other power figures.
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William Singer was the
mastermind of the operation who owned The Edge College & Career Network, LLC, known as
“The Key,” and The Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF); the Key was the college preparation
business associated with the scheme and KWF was the non-profit charity that concealed the
nature and source of bribe payments.
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The parents conspired with others, including W. Singer: 1)
to bribe college test center administrators to facilitate cheating on standardized college exams
and 2) to bribe athletic coaches and administrators from the nation’s top universities to
designates spots for their children to facilitate their admissions.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
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The tip-off to federal authorities that triggered the investigation of the largest alleged
collegiate admissions scheme ever was unraveled by Morrie Tobin, a financial executive from
Los Angeles. He was under investigation for a separate securities fraud case. The SEC
investigators questioned him about an alleged pump-and-dump investment scheme in which he
conspired with people to artificially inflate the stock from his two companies to sell for a profit.
He faced two charges, one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of
securities fraud. To exchange for possible leniency by cutting a deal with federal prosecutors in
Boston, he volunteered information that would expose the biggest collegiate admissions scheme
ever prosecuted. He confessed to investigators that the head women’s soccer coach at Yale
University, Rudy Meredith, had asked for a bribe in exchange for getting his daughter into the
elite school. At the direction of the FBI, he agreed to cooperate with the investigation and met
with the coach wearing a wire by pretending to be interested in paying another bribe. The coach
offered to designate one of M. Tobin’s daughter as a soccer recruit in exchange for $450,000.
Afterwards, R. Meredith cooperated with federal authorities, which led them to W. Singer.
Investigative Techniques Involved
Federal authorities employed various investigative techniques in order to obtain
evidences to help with getting a successful conviction. First and foremost, the investigation
initiated with a confession from an informant, M. Tobin. Witnesses were interviewed, including
cooperating witnesses, R. Meredith, W. Singer, and Mark Riddell, the proctor who took the
exams for the students. Federal authorities reviewed documents, including bank statements,
flight records, e-mails, telephone toll records, cell site data and other materials obtained through
