Accused Test Taker In College Admission Scam To Plead Guilty

Test with broken Pencil

One of the key players in a multimillion-dollar college admissions scandal is set to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering. Investigators say that Mark Riddell, who graduated Harvard in 2012, was paid $10,000 to take college board exams for students starting in 2012 until this past February.

Prosecutors say that in addition to taking the tests, Riddell would change the answers after a test was submitted, or work with the student during the exam to get their desired score. In one instance he even studied a student's handwriting to emulate it on the written part of the exam.

Riddell faces up to 20 years behind bars, but prosecutors plan to recommend a lesser sentence because of his "prompt acceptance of personal responsibility" for his actions.

Not long after the scandal broke, Riddell issued an apology for his actions.

"I understand how my actions contributed to a loss of trust in the college admissions process," he said. "I assume full responsibility for what I have done."

Photo: Getty Images


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