BOSTON – The price of privilege just got a little cheaper. Former Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer, 41, of Palo Alto, Calif., walked away with a remarkably light sentence today after admitting to his central role in the sprawling college admissions fraud scheme. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel handed down one day of incarceration – immediately deemed served – followed by two years of supervised release, the first six months to be served under home detention. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
The government had requested a significantly stiffer penalty – 13 months in prison and one year of supervised release – but the judge clearly felt differently. Vandemoer pleaded guilty on March 12, 2019, to one count of racketeering conspiracy, a charge stemming from his agreement to facilitate the admission of unqualified applicants to Stanford in exchange for hefty bribes.
According to prosecutors, Vandemoer pocketed a staggering $610,000 to designate the children of clients connected to the ringleader, Rick Singer, as recruited athletes for the Stanford sailing team. These “recruits” often had little to no actual sailing experience. The money was funneled through payments to the Stanford sailing program, which Vandemoer oversaw.
“Mr. Vandemoer agreed to accept $610,000 in exchange for corrupting the admissions process of a major university,” stated United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. While Lelling vowed to continue pursuing “meaningful penalties” in these cases, the sentence handed down to Vandemoer raises serious questions about the true cost of elite privilege and the justice system’s willingness to hold those involved accountable.
This case is far from closed. The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Division, headed by Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, led by Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell, continues to unravel the network of wealthy parents and corrupt officials who conspired to game the system. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Details regarding the status of other defendants and relevant court documents can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme. It’s crucial to remember that the information contained within those documents represents allegations, and all remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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