A Los Angeles executive has become the third parent to plead guilty in the college admissions scandal, admitting he paid $400,000 to get his son into Georgetown.
Stephen Semprevivo told the Boston federal court that he paid an admissions consultant hundreds of thousands of dollars to bribe Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst to accept his son as a recruit on the team.
Semprevivo, who was charged with mail fraud conspiracy, revealed in court on Tuesday that his son didn't even play competitive tennis.
Ernst has pleaded not guilty to accepting $2.7million in bribes to designate at least 12 applicants as recruits for the university.
Los Angeles executive Stephen Semprevivo is the third parent to plead guilty in the college admissions scandal, admitting he paid $400,000 to get his son into Georgetown. He is pictured here leaving federal court in Boston on Tuesday
Semprevivo said he paid an admissions consultant hundreds of thousands of dollars to bribe Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst to accept his son as a recruit on the team
US District Judge Indira Talwani asked Semprevivo, an executive at Cydcor, whether he understood she could sentence him up to 20 years in prison.
'Yes, your honor,' he replied.
She then asked if Semprevivo understood he could not withdraw his guilty plea if his sentence was not what he expected.
'Yes, your honor,' he said again.
Prosecutors said they will recommend that Semprevivo serve 18 months in prison because he has accepted responsibility for the crime, according to Bloomberg.
Semprevivo was one of 33 parents who reached out to Rick Singer, the founder of Key Worldwide Foundation and the mastermind behind the entire scandal.
Since 2011, Singer received $25million from parents which was used to bribe coaches and athletic directors or pay off proctors who changed answers on their children's SAT and ACT exams.
In 2015, Semprevivo reached out to Singer, who then had his son write to Ernst and claim he had played competitive tennis all through high school.
Ernst (pictured leaving his arraignment in March) has pleaded not guilty to accepting $2.7million in bribes to designate at least 12 applicants as recruits for the University
The former Georgetown men's tennis coach has since resigned from his position as the women's tennis coach at the University of Rhode Island
Semprevivo's son claimed to be an Academic All American in tennis and basketball and said he belonged to the Nike Federation All Academic Athletic Team.
Prosecutors said Singer even told Semprevivo's son what to write in his college admissions essay for the prestigious Washington DC university.
'When I walk into a room, people will normally look up and make a comment about my height - I'm 6'5 - and ask me if I play basketball,' the essay read.
'With a smile, I nod my head, but also insist that the sport I put my most energy into is tennis.'
Mastermind Rick Singer allegedly paid Ernst (pictured) $950,000 total to help secure spots for Semprevivo's son and other children on the Georgetown team
Semprevivo then sent a $400,000 'private contribution' check to Singer's foundation.
Singer paid Ernst $950,000 total to help secure spots
