The Coffee House

[smoke665]

Not really sure how I see this is worthy of police time or effort...

Because it involved everything from racketeering to bribery to fraud. Oldest grandson is going through this now with meeting college entrance requirements. The competition for admittance at better schools is really tough. Forget scholarships it's tough to get in. These people were doing everything from paying people to correct student SAT scores, using Ps to supply doctored sports photographs and fraudulent participation in sports, to paying school coaches and admittance admins to look the other way. Doing so deprived deserving legitimate candidates of a chance to attend the school, and in many cases took scholarship money away from students that actually need it.

 

[vintagesnaps]

It sounds like quite a scam, and yes they needed to investigate and prosecute to put a stop to it. I imagine it was more prosecuters' time and staff involved than police depts. since it is federal. At least the students for the most part apparently didn't know what the parents were doing; I'm glad the students weren't involved by their parents in carrying out fraudulent activity (although now they know what their parents did).

Two days in a row of . And of course I feel like I'm coming down with some respiratory thing... Never fails! Had some more coffee at lunch which made me feel better. And The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep are both on today - a double Bogey!!

Gee it doesn't look like anybody was committing fraud to try to get into my alma mater! Not to get into a state university...

 

[smoke665]

At least the students for the most part apparently didn't know what the parents were doing; I'm glad the students weren't involved by their parents in carrying out fraudulent activity

I'd have to disagree with you on that. Especially the ones involving sports doctored photos and previous play, knew they didn't play sports, the coaches knew they didn't, and if the school took some of the money (which supposedly happened) then the schools knew it. The ones who got in on fraudulent SAT scores, might have been to stupid to realize they weren't scholars, but if they had any sense at all they'd know something was up. Grandson has taken his 4 times now trying to get his score up, but while they're good they aren't quite good enough for the school he's wanting to go to.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Then go look it up...! lol I just read a NYT article, etc. Apparently the guy and his 'company' such as it was running the scam submitted materials instead of the students; he/his company did the photoshopping. They put a student's face onto another student photo showing that other student playing whatever sport. I don't think the students (most anyway) ever saw what was sent in that was fraudulent.

Of course this just came out so we may find out more later.

 

[smoke665]

@vintagesnaps it's pretty much been the news all day, mixed reports on the number some say 30 but this evening they're saying 50??

As to the kids knowledge, part of the scheme involved bribing college athletic coaches to facilitate non-recruits admittance to elite universities as recruits regardless of their actual athletic abilities or histories. Now granted the kids may not have known the extent of the bribing, but they'd have to be pretty dumb to not know something was up when they were accepted based on a sport that in some cases they knew they'd never played. Federal prosecutors accused Loughlin and her fashion designer hubby, Mossimo Giannulli, of agreeing to pay $500,000 to get daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team — even though they didn’t actually participate in the sport. In a Youtube video last year Jade claimed she didn’t “really care about school” but wanted to attend college for the “experience” of “partying” and “game days.” Not saying all the kids were like this, but I'm betting a big percentage were.

 

[Tony744]

The brewery has an opening date, at least internally. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Last night, I got my grill-based coffee roaster put together and tested with 2.5 lbs of beans. I have 15 lbs to get through in the next couple of days for one of our stouts.

Congrats! Looking forward to taking a road trip down there to check it out.

 

[CherylL]

@vintagesnaps it's pretty much been the news all day, mixed reports on the number some say 30 but this evening they're saying 50??

As to the kids knowledge, part of the scheme involved bribing college athletic coaches to facilitate non-recruits admittance to elite universities as recruits regardless of their actual athletic abilities or histories. Now granted the kids may not have known the extent of the bribing, but they'd have to be pretty dumb to not know something was up when they were accepted based on a sport that in some cases they knew they'd never played. Federal prosecutors accused Loughlin and her fashion designer hubby, Mossimo Giannulli, of agreeing to pay $500,000 to get daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team — even though they didn’t actually participate in the sport. In a Youtube video last year Jade claimed she didn’t “really care about school” but wanted to attend college for the “experience” of “partying” and “game days.” Not saying all the kids were like this, but I'm betting a big percentage were.

Saw the two girls on the news and their YT video shows they have an entitlement attitude. It is sad that this has been going on with the entitled taking spots to students who actually put in the time and effort. My daughters prepped and prepped for their SATs with online practice, reading, studying and Saturday all day prep classes. This was after working hard taking honors classes for 4 years in high school. The ones buying their way in to only not be able to actually do the course work. Are grades then purchased?

 

[limr45]

Some kids knew more than others:

This article includes transcripts:

https://deadspin.com/here-are-all-t...lflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

"Here we have the lovely story of a parent getting his son into USC as a pole vaulter with a photoshopped picture of someone pole vaulting. The only problem? The son didn’t know he was admitted through the track and field team:"

"This Sloane character allegedly chose water polo as the route for his son into USC, despite the fact that he never played water polo and his high school didn’t have a water polo team. So Sloane bought a bunch of water polo stuff on Amazon and conducted a photo shoot, which CW-1 advised him on:"

 

[tirediron]

Huh?! Bribery, fraud, and conspiring to cover it up...? Just because it's white-collar criminality doesn't make it less criminal.

But aren't these private, for-profit businesses? Shouldn't they be able to select their customers however they want?

 

[smoke665]

But aren't these private, for-profit businesses? Shouldn't they be able to select their customers however they want?

Yes and no, private universities enter a gray area where tax dollars are concerned Harvard and Yale are estimated at about 500 million/year received, Stanford close to $700 million, plus many of the students that go qualify for federal assistance in student loans, grants etc. Plus private or not their still subject to federal laws regarding equal opportunities. As of now, the universities have not been charged with complicity, though that might change as the rats caught in the traps start to squeal.

 

[limr45]

Huh?! Bribery, fraud, and conspiring to cover it up...? Just because it's white-collar criminality doesn't make it less criminal.

But aren't these private, for-profit businesses? Shouldn't they be able to select their customers however they want?

These are universities who are supposed to recruit and educate students not customers. And even if you try to hide behind that that excuse, it doesn't make any difference. Private corporations are subject to federal conspiracy and fraud laws, and they clearly crossed the line and were acting illegally.

Any institution getting federal dollars in any way are subject to federal equal opportunity laws as well. It's called the Fourteenth Amendment.

 

[smoke665]

Again there's still no news that any of the universities involved were complicit in the scheme but at the very least it shows they lacked oversight on their employees. The individuals are going to have a tough time, RICCO, Mail Fraud, these people knew what was going on, they just didn't think the laws applied to them. Sadly given the way the system works, they'll probably pay some fines and walk away.

 

[SquarePeg51 1]

Oh wow all over the news thus morning are stories on the collage admission scandals involving some of the most prestigious universities in the country. Charges still emerging but over 30 charged so far including college employees, celebrities and wealthy people. Investigations of College Admissions and Testing Bribery Scheme

Two stars charged - Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) but not her husband (William H. Macy of Shameless tv show) and Lori Laughlin (and her husband) from Hallmark tv series.

Not really sure how I see this is worthy of police time or effort...

Not really sure how I see this is worthy of police time or effort...

Because it involved everything from racketeering to bribery to fraud. Oldest grandson is going through this now with meeting college entrance requirements. The competition for admittance at better schools is really tough. Forget scholarships it's tough to get in. These people were doing everything from paying people to correct student SAT scores, using Ps to supply doctored sports photographs and fraudulent participation in sports, to paying school coaches and admittance admins to look the other way. Doing so deprived deserving legitimate candidates of a chance to attend the school, and in many cases took scholarship money away from students that actually need it.

At least the students for the most part apparently didn't know what the parents were doing; I'm glad the students weren't involved by their parents in carrying out fraudulent activity

I'd have to disagree with you on that. Especially the ones involving sports doctored photos and previous play, knew they didn't play sports, the coaches knew they didn't, and if the school took some of the money (which supposedly happened) then the schools knew it. The ones who got in on fraudulent SAT scores, might have been to stupid to realize they weren't scholars, but if they had any sense at all they'd know something was up. Grandson has taken his 4 times now trying to get his score up, but while they're good they aren't quite good enough for the school he's wanting to go to.

Huh?! Bribery, fraud, and conspiring to cover it up...? Just because it's white-collar criminality doesn't make it less criminal.

But aren't these private, for-profit businesses? Shouldn't they be able to select their customers however they want?

I think it will be a major factor that they made their payments through a fraudulent charity and then supposedly wrote it off on their taxes as a charitable donation. Tax fraud.

 

[tirediron]

I think it will be a major factor that they made their payments through a fraudulent charity and then supposedly wrote it off on their taxes as a charitable donation. Tax fraud.

Well... that's not cricket!

 

[SquarePeg51 1]

I think it will be a major factor that they made their payments through a fraudulent charity and then supposedly wrote it off on their taxes as a charitable donation. Tax fraud.

Well... that's not cricket!

It prevents them from saying they didn’t know what the consultant was doing was illegal. If they were to claim the money they paid was for advice on getting accepted and they had no idea what the company was doing they would not be able to explain why they thought the service was tax deductible.