Current:Home > MyFormer Staples exec sentenced in Varsity Blues scheme, marking end of years-long case -WealthEngine
Former Staples exec sentenced in Varsity Blues scheme, marking end of years-long case
View
Date:2025-04-12 13:14:12
A former Staples executive was sentenced on Friday for his role in the college admissions cheating scheme known as Varsity Blues, marking the end of a years-long case that has resulted in dozens of convictions.
John Wilson, 64, of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to one year of probation -- with the first six months to be served in home detention -- and 250 hours of community service, federal prosecutors said. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $75,000 and restitution in the amount of $88,546.
MORE: Charges dropped against 2 parents in college admissions scandal
Wilson, a private equity investor, was found guilty in 2021 in the first trial stemming from the scheme. He was initially sentenced last year to 15 months in prison but appealed and most of the charges he was convicted of were subsequently dropped.
He was resentenced on Friday on the charge of filing a false tax return. Prosecutors said he falsely claimed payments he made to secure his son's admission to the University of Southern California were deductible as a business expense and a charitable contribution.
According to prosecutors, Wilson agreed to pay scheme mastermind William "Rick" Singer $220,000 in 2013 to secure his son's admission as a "purported water polo recruit." Wilson's attorneys argued the payment was a legitimate donation and that his case was "fundamentally different" from others in the Varsity Blues scandal.
"It was a terrible injustice to tarnish the Wilson family with the Varsity Blues accusations, and it is finally over," Wilson's attorney, Michael Kendall of White & Case LLP, said in a statement on Friday. "John Wilson did not commit fraud, he did not bribe any universities, and he did not partake in a grand conspiracy. His children were highly successful students who were qualified on their own merits."
The sentencing decision "shows the tax count was more of a technical charge than anything else," the statement continued.
Wilson expressed relief at the sentencing.
"After almost five years of being falsely accused and then wrongly convicted, my family and I are relieved to see our nightmare end," Wilson said in a statement. "I have spent years defending my innocence and the reputations of my children. Today, it's clear to all that I was telling the truth, I did not violate any laws or school policies."
MORE: Mastermind of 'Varsity Blues' college cheating scandal sentenced to 42 months
The sentencing marks the end of a years-long case brought by federal prosecutors in Boston that resulted in 51 convictions.
Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were among those who served prison time. They have since been released.
Singer was sentenced to 42 months in prison by a federal judge in January after pleading guilty.
veryGood! (41474)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- USA women’s 3x3 basketball team loses third straight game in pool play
- Jonathan Majors breaks silence on Robert Downey Jr. replacing him as next 'Avengers' villain
- Pregnant Cardi B Puts Baby Bump on Display in New York After Filing for Divorce From Offset
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Watch a DNA test reunite a dog with his long lost mom
- These Designer Michael Kors Handbags Are up 85% off Right Now & All Under $100
- North Carolina House member back in leading committee position 3 years after removal
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Who is Paul Whelan? What to know about Michigan man freed from Russia
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- These Designer Michael Kors Handbags Are up 85% off Right Now & All Under $100
- Cardi B Reveals She's Pregnant With Baby No. 3 Amid Divorce From Offset
- Obama and Bush join effort to mark America’s 250th anniversary in a time of political polarization
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- As a historic prisoner exchange unfolds, a look back at other famous East-West swaps
- Russia releases US journalist and other Americans and dissidents in massive 24-person prisoner swap
- NBC defends performances of Peyton Manning, Kelly Clarkson on opening ceremony
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
Miles Partain, Andy Benesh advance in Paris Olympics beach volleyball after coaching change
Donald Trump’s gag order remains in effect after hush money conviction, New York appeals court rules
A massive prisoner swap involving the United States and Russia is underway, an AP source says
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
As a historic prisoner exchange unfolds, a look back at other famous East-West swaps
Regan Smith, Phoebe Bacon advance to semis in women's 200-meter backstroke
Jamie Lee Curtis Apologizes for Toilet Paper Promotion Comments After Shading Marvel