A man who spoke with admitted college admissions fraudster William 'Rick' Singer in 2011 says Singer floated the idea of having the man's son pose as a water polo player to ease his acceptance by a California university. The man declined.
A man who talked to college admissions advisor William"Rick" Singer eight years ago about getting his son into a top California school says Singer matter-of-factly raised the idea of using fraud to make that happen — for a whopping $100,000 fee — less than two minutes after their conversation began.
"I vividly remember him saying to me that, 'I've placed a number of kids,'" said the man, who spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity.Singer, 59, pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal criminal charges connected to his alleged widespread, $25 million scheme to help wealthy parents bribe, cheat and otherwise fraudulently game the college admissions system to gain entry for their children to highly ranked universities.
One of the California universities allegedly victimized in the scam was the school that Singer and the man who spoke with CNBC talked about getting the man's son into in March 2011. Singer told the man that as part of his $100,000 fee, a"contribution" would be made to the water polo team at the university the son wanted to attend. After his son gained admittance to the school, Singer told him, his son would either quit the water polo team or be cut from it, without ever participating in any team activity.Singer told the man"there's a sense of urgency here" because at the time they were talking it was the season for college placement.
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