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The parents are facing serious federal charges there. Conspiracy to commit mail fraud is what, up to 5yrs prison and a $250k fine? I feel for them - it's the type of crime I can easily imagine myself committing* - but good that this has been put to a stop.

*while also believing that, given the opportunity, I would choose to play it fair.

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Statutory limit is actually 20 years, under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341

In practice, most of the defendants would be likely to get under 5 years assuming this is their first offense, don’t commit further crimes, etc.

Oww. Lots of plea bargains coming up I am sure. Don't think any of the parents would make a particular sympathetic defendant in front of a jury.

Matt Levine today framed it rather neatly as a property crime, in that the dodgy charity guy and the coaches stole those selective admissions slots from the universities and sold them on to the parents. (Those parents of course being fully aware that other people would be taking test on their kids' behalf, so they are hardly victims.)

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