Mikaela Sanford, College Admissions Bribery, Massachusetts 2020

BOSTON, Massachusetts – In a shocking turn of events, a former employee of William ‘Rick’ Singer’s ‘The Key’ for-profit business has been sentenced for her involvement in a scheme to use bribery and fraud to facilitate the admission of applicants to colleges nationwide.

Mikaela Sanford, 35, of Folsom, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served and one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $67,062.

The scheme, which unfolded in the early 2020s, involved Sanford taking online classes for students so that the students could submit the grades Sanford earned in their names as part of their application packages to colleges and universities. In other instances, Sanford helped fabricate athletic ‘profiles’ and other documents to bolster students’ college applications by making the students appear to be highly successful high school athletes when, in fact, they were not.

Sanford, who was employed by ‘The Key,’ pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering in October 2020. The case has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater transparency in the college admissions process.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the scheme was a coordinated effort involving multiple individuals and organizations. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Sanford’s sentence brings an end to her involvement in the scheme, but the fallout is likely to continue. As the college admissions process remains under scrutiny, it’s clear that those who seek to cheat the system will face serious consequences.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the IRS, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General all played critical roles in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

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