The concept of potentially spending years in prison is difficult for the average person to comprehend. But for some of the parents charged in the recent college admissions scandal, this could very well be their reality. Justin Paperny is a former stockbroker who spent time in prison for fraud. After his release, he became an author and now serves as a consultant for wealthy individuals facing possible prison time. Paperny knows firsthand what prison life looks like and he’s not sugarcoating anything. Paperny is answering some of these celebrity parents questions about prison time in the case that they soon find themselves behind bars, according to CBS News .
Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are among the many celebrity parents charged in connection to the college admissions scam. This pair allegedly agreed to pay thousands of dollars to ensure their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella got into the University of Southern California. To make matters worse, they’ve also been accused of presenting their daughters as crew recruits, despite the fact that neither girl ever participated in their high school crew team.
Parents in college scam are asking about prison life: “Is there internet?” “They’re scared and it’s ‘Can I survive in prison? Am I cut out for prison?'” said Justin Paperny, who served prison time for fraud and now works with wealthy clients https://t.co/Rr9scwx6ZC bit.…
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In addition, Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman has been charged with paying Rick Singer $15,000 for her daughter’s SAT scores to be boosted. Singer is the alleged leader and organizer of the scam and could be facing a maximum of 65 years behind bars for his involvement, according to NBC News .
On Friday, Huffman and Loughlin will appear before a judge for the next stage of the criminal process. They are among the 15 parents scheduled to visit court that day.
With the future in the balance for so many of these wealthy individuals, Paperny’s job is to give it to them straight and provide insight into the kind of life they could have. After having spoken to several of these parents, the thing that surprised him the most was how many don’t seem to yet be taking responsibility for their actions. He believes they could be due for a major reality check.
“They’re scared and it’s ‘Can I survive in prison? Am I cut out for prison?’ What’s most surprising to me about the first conversation is how many of them didn’t view their actions as criminal,” Paperny said. “I would encourage defendants, any defendants, if they broke the law to own it, to acknowledge it, to run not walk towards taking a plea agreement. Those that respond more appropriately should get better prison sentences.”
