Actor Felicity Huffman appeared in a Boston federal court on Friday with her husband, William H. Macy, to learn her punishment in the college admissions bribery scandal.
CBS News is reporting that Huffman is to serve 14 days in jail, pay a $30,000 fine, do 250 hours of community service, and be on probation for a year. The court is allowing the Desperate Housewives actor to self-report to jail rather than taking her into custody after the sentencing. Huffman pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy and fraud in May.
Huffman was contrite, stating that she accepts the court’s decision without reservation after admitting that she paid $15,000 in an effort to increase her older daughter Sophia’s SAT scores. Before she was sentenced, the actor apologized to the judge and to her daughter, who asked why her mother didn’t believe in her. Huffman recalled the day of the testing with regret.
“As I’m here, my mind keeps going back to the drive to the testing facility and daughter asked for ice cream afterward my mind kept saying to turn around, turn around.”
Prosecutors recommended that Huffman serve one month in jail and pay $20,000 fine, while her legal team asked that she get no jail time, but instead remain on probation for a year.
BREAKING: Felicity Huffman has been sentenced to 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, a year of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service for her role in the college admissions scam pic.twitter.com/vmpuVGdNKO
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 13, 2019
TMZ shared that Huffman made a brief statement after the sentencing, apologizing to everyone who might have felt cheated as a result of her actions.
“I am deeply sorry to the students, parents, colleges and universities impacted by my actions. I have inflicted more damage [on her daughter] than I could’ve ever imagined. I was frightened, I was stupid and I was so wrong. I am deeply ashamed of what I have done.”
TMZ stated that today’s decision is actually a major loss for prosecutors who had promised that anyone involved in the college admissions cheating scandal would serve serious time in prison.
The Inquisitr reported that like actor Lori Loughlin, Huffman got involved in the college admissions cheating scandal arranged by admissions consultant Rick Singer and his company, Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), which was reportedly set up as a charity.
Huffman admitted to paying Singer $15,000 to have her daughter Sophia’s SAT test corrected by a proctor after the fact in an effort to guarantee her admission to USC. The actor admits her actions were wrong, but she was trying to level the playing field for her daughter who has struggled with a learning disability since the age of 8.
