OAN Staff Abril Elfi
5:07 PM – Tuesday, July 15, 2025
A judge has ruled that Rick Singer, the shady “mastermind” behind the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal known as “Varsity Blues,” may work as a college consultant again — as long as he discloses his criminal record to new clients.
On Monday, federal prosecutors said that Singer can return to his former job as long as he warns parents about his criminal past.
Singer, 62, pleaded guilty in 2019 to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and other crimes stemming from the Operation Varsity Blues affair. The 2019 investigation revealed that dozens of wealthy parents, including celebrities and business executives, had paid bribes to fraudulently secure their children’s admission into the best universities.
At the time, he was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars in 2023, but was released to a halfway house in Los Angeles, California, last year.
Following his release from prison, Singer founded ID Future Stars to help future undergraduates with their college applications. Chief District Judge Denise Casper ordered that Singer may continue to operate as a college consultant — so long as the following statement appears “prominently” on his company’s website.
“In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice for his role in what was widely-publicized as the ‘Varsity Blues’ college admissions scheme,” the statement reads.
“Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students’ academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students’ college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials,” it continues.
“As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million,” it concludes.
He went on to add that written copies of the statement must be provided to parents, students, or other entities seeking to retain Singer.
“Mr. Singer has no problem informing his current and future clients of his past actions,” Aaron Katz, Singer’s attorney, said in a statement. “He was doing so even prior to the Court’s ruling.”
However, as of Tuesday, the statement was no longer on the website. The company’s website now says that ID Future Stars caters to thousands of applicants across the United States and abroad, while promising an “80-96% acceptance rate for first-choice schools and over 90% within the list of their top 3 choices.”
“Impressively, 100% of our clients come from direct referrals, reflecting our reputation and the trust families place in us,” the company’s website reads. “Our expertise lies in navigating the complexities of the college admissions process.”
In addition to Singer, more than 50 people, including public figures and university coaches, were found guilty in the case. The controversy attracted notoriety for involving Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin (Full House) and Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) who reportedly contacted Singer to help their daughters gain admission to prestigious universities.
Both actors served brief prison sentences for their roles in the case.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts