Latest news with #VarsityBlues
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
"Varsity Blues" mastermind opens new college counseling service, but must disclose criminal past, judge rules
William "Rick" Singer, the mastermind behind the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme, can operate a new college counseling service as long as he discloses his criminal past to new clients, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Monday. The service, ID Future Stars, lists Singer as "Master Coach & Lead Advisor" on its website, which says it prides itself on offering a "hands-on, personalized approach to college admissions counseling." Chief District Judge Denise Casper ruled that Singer can operate the company but must "prominently" display the following statement on the ID Future Stars website: "In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges-including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice-for his role in what was widely-publicized as the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scheme. Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students' academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students' college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials. As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million. " Singer must also provide a written copy of the same statement to all parents, students or other clients who retain him. The court-mandated text was not yet posted on the company's website as of early Tuesday afternoon, but an attorney for Singer, Aaron Katz, confirmed that Singer will abide by the court's order. Singer "has no problem informing current and future clients of his past actions and, indeed, had been doing so even prior to the Court's order," Katz said in a statement to CBS News. Over 50 people, including popular TV actresses and prominent businessmen — were convicted in the case, which authorities called Operation Varsity Blues. In 2019, Singer pleaded guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, but was released to a halfway house in 2024. Singer is currently on supervised release. CBS News has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts for comment. In a statement on the ID Future Stars website, Singer says, in part, "I am not afraid to tell people who I am and that I made a mistake, took full responsibility and want to share my expertise, passion, and desire to help shape our next generation's leaders by helping each find a college and career that is the right choice for each individual." "The important values I learned in my journey–is to stay away from the gray areas in college admissions and institutional advancement… That I will not be traveling down the uneven side of the road even when the coast looks clear, but will fiercely seek the proper guidance and support from expert counsel," the statement says.
14-07-2025
'Varsity Blues' cheating scandal mastermind must disclose criminal past to new clients: Judge
Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal known as "Varsity Blues," can return to his former job as long as he warns parents about his criminal past, a federal judge in Boston ruled Monday. Federal prosecutors balked at Singer advising prospective undergraduates regarding their college applications after he served time in federal prison for facilitating bribes among wealthy parents, test proctors and elite universities. Singer established a new college consulting service, ID Future Stars, which, according to its website, offers "personalized coaching, expert guidance, and comprehensive support." Chief District Judge Denise Casper said it must now include the following two paragraphs: "In March 2019, Rick Singer pled guilty to federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice for his role in what was widely-publicized as the 'Varsity Blues' college admissions scheme. Specifically, Mr. Singer admitted to, among other things: bribing standardized test proctors and administrators to engage in cheating on college entrance exams (i.e., the SAT and ACT); falsifying students' academic transcripts by paying third parties to take classes in their names; falsifying students' college applications with fake awards, athletic activities, and fabricated essays; and bribing college athletic coaches and administrators, through purported donations to their programs and personal bribes, to designate students as athletic recruits based on falsified athletic credentials." The court-mandated statement continued: "As part of the scheme, Mr. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients, from which he made payments to co-conspirators totaling more than $7 million, and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit. On January 4, 2023, a federal court in Boston sentenced Mr. Singer to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution and to forfeit assets totaling more than $8.7 million." Singer is required to post the statement prominently on the ID Futures Stars website and to also provide a written copy to parents, students or other entities seeking to retain him, Casper said. As part of his plea deal, Singer helped federal prosecutors in Boston with their sweeping investigation into bribes paid to athletic coaches, SAT and ACT proctors, and others so students of wealthy parents could cheat their way into some of the country's best-known schools. Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were among the more than three dozen parents charged. Singer continued to advise prospective undergraduates on their college applications while serving his sentence in federal prison in Florida, and from a California halfway house after his release.
Fox News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Landman' star Ali Larter's simple, free beauty tips that anyone can follow
Ali Larter declared self-care is in season this summer. Larter, 49, found fame at a young age as a model who was discovered in her New Jersey hometown, and made her film debut alongside James Van Der Beek in the coming-of-age drama, "Varsity Blues." Now starring in the popular Taylor Sheridan series, "Landman," Larter shared insight with Fox News Digital on the self-care essentials that benefit her hectic, day-to-day routine. "I believe in sweating. Number one, you sweat," Larter confessed. "I don't care if you run, or you do it in a steam room. Sweat, sweat, sweat to get your glow on." The benefits of exercise abound. Not only does a regular sweat session combat diseases and health conditions, but sweating can also improve your mood and boost energy levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Next, Larter insisted, "Enjoy your life. When you're happy and relaxed, like you can feel it, you can see it. Stressed out, intense, curmudgeon – no, thank you." "I believe in sweating. Number one, you sweat. I don't care if you run, or you do it in a steam room. Sweat, sweat, sweat to get your glow on." "I would say to enjoy your summer in self-care," Larter added. "Go out and do your hikes and your runs outside. Put yourself in nature and go get your little, you know, get that side of you out outside in beautiful areas." WATCH: 'Landman' star Ali Larter shares her self-care secrets The "Legally Blonde" star admitted that one of the ways she maintains a healthy work-life balance was by easing herself into a practical routine. "Enjoy your life. When you're happy and relaxed, like you can feel it, you can see it. Stressed out, intense, curmudgeon – no, thank you." "I think one of the biggest things is that routine is how I can handle when my life is running at a high-power level," she said. "It's getting up in the morning. Even if it's 20 minutes, I go for a run. I do yoga, I do stretching. I eat really clean. I drink a lot of water. I don't drink a lot of alcohol. I keep it really tight. And then as soon as I'm done with the run, I ruin it all in one day." When Fox News Digital asked Larter how she had time to practice self-care lately, the "Heroes" star candidly stated, "I don't." "I'm on like a 17-day run right now where it's like, I worked during the week," Larter said. "I raced home to my son's eighth grade graduation. I ran back to LA for a work job. I landed at 2 a.m. I went to work at 6 a.m. "It's one of these times, but I've been in this business for a while, and when you have these incredible opportunities, you want to take them. And so I'm just, I'm excited about it, and it's really, it's a beautiful time in life." Larter's schedule as of late has included starring as Billy Bob Thornton's seductive wife Angela in the wildly successful show, "Landman." She received backlash for her character's sexual storyline, but told "The Hollywood Reporter" that "nobody's putting me in a position that I'm not comfortable being in." "If there was something I was uncomfortable with, I wouldn't do it," Larter admitted. "What's more uncomfortable is that people are so uncomfortable by their sexuality." "I'm also like, 'Objectify me. C'mon,'" she noted. "I have two children. I've been married for 19 years. I love playing this character. If there was something I was uncomfortable with, I wouldn't do it." The "Final Destination" actress and husband Hayes MacArthur share two children: daughter Vivienne, 9, and son Theodore, 14. She previously told Fox News Digital that her family moved from Los Angeles to Idaho during the start of the pandemic. "If it was a conscious choice, I would never have believed that it was, you know, it was during COVID and our kids' schools were shut down, and so we just went for two months," she explained. "We were like, 'OK, we'll go ski.' "My daughter was in kindergarten… It was just a complete – it was a terrible time." They returned to Los Angeles briefly before making the decision to uproot their family. "We're like, 'Let's give it a go,' and we were really, really lucky to find an amazing community there," Larter said. "And we really, really responded to the ethos of that town. It's a simpler life with really generous people, and there's an accountability when you live in a small town that we really loved raising our children in." She added, "I don't think Hayes and I ever thought that we would be able to leave Hollywood and then after the pandemic, you know, it really shook up our town and a lot of the work has moved anyway. So, my husband's shooting 'The Runarounds' in Wilmington, and I'm in Fort Worth doing 'Landman' and we wouldn't be in LA anyway, so I think it's been really exciting that we took the bold move to pivot, and we put our family first, and we're really excited and proud of that decision."
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Todd Chrisley reveals jailhouse confrontation with star who 'talked smack' about daughter Savannah
Todd Chrisley has revealed he clashed with a very well-known prison inmate who dared to criticize his daughter Savannah's efforts to secure his release. The former jailbird, 56, who alongside wife Julie was granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump last month, laid into 'Varsity Blues' college admissions scam mastermind Rick Singer in a candid interview on Savannah's Unlocked podcast. The Chrisley Knows Best stars served time for bank fraud and tax evasion - with Todd memorably crossing paths with Singer at Pensacola's Federal Prison Camp. Referring only to Singer as the 'college admissions guy' and a 'snitch', Chrisley fumed: 'He was talking s*** about Savannah, because that's when she had already started, you know, pulling the Barbara Walters and exposing everything in the [Bureau of Prisons]. 'He started talking smack. I said, "I will rip your head off and s*** down your neck if you talk about my child again." And I meant what I said.' In January 2023 Singer was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty in 2019 to racketeering, money laundering and obstruction charges. The court heard he accepted bribes totaling more than $25 million from desperate parents - including celebrities such as Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman - who wanted to get their kids into some of the country's best schools. In August 2024 he was released to a halfway house near Los Angeles to serve the rest of his sentence. This comes after Todd and Julie finally reunited and are now sharing the emotional details in a new interview with ABC News Studios, where they reflected on seeing each other for the first time in years. 'I was a little nervous,' Julie, 52, said about her reunion with Todd during the interview. 'Just because, you know, you think, "Oh my gosh, I've been away this long." But then, when I saw him, it was as if no time had passed.' Todd, 56, said that the idea of reuniting felt 'weird,' because he never really considered that he and Julie were 'apart.' 'And you know for me, it's just weird, because she was never away from me,' he explained. 'Even the whole time we were apart. She was with me every second, every breath that I took.' Todd continued: 'I mean, when I saw her, I was grateful to wrap my arms around her, but it was just more like, "I'm home."' Julie added that there was 'laughter and tears' at their reunion, which was filmed. Todd chimed in, 'A lot of that came after the cameras were not on.' And after so much time apart, the first thing Todd and Julie did together was have dinner with their family. Todd said, 'You know, we get to start over,' before saying that sleeping in his own bed again was 'heaven.' Both of them agreed that being able to shower at the leisure, without shower shoes, was thrilling. 'It was almost like your first sexual encounter. That good,' Todd joked. But the most emotional part of coming home was reuniting with their daughter Chloe, 12. 'You know, even though we had gotten to see each other [during visitations], it's not the same as when you're home,' Julie said. 'On our way home, she was literally watching on her phone — she was tracking where we were — to know how close I was. So I think it was just — it was a special moment,' she continued. Todd also recently shared the thoughts running through his mind when he and his wife were sentenced. 'I remember going in and that night, I was so angry with God and that night when the lights went out, I literally cried myself to sleep because it's the first time Julie and I have ever been away from each other since we had been married,' the Chrisley patriarch told Lara Trump. 'I'd never not been in that house when my kids woke up in the morning or when they went to bed at night,' Chrisley recalled. He was sentenced to 12 years - which was later knocked down to 10 - and served time at the Pensacola Federal Prison Camp in Florida, while wife Julie was imprisoned three states away at the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky. 'And I just said, God, why?' Chrisley continued. 'I've tried to be a loyal and faithful servant.' 'Why are you allowing this to happen? You know these things are not true,' he said. Prosecutors pushed that the Chrisleys had used false documents and exaggerated financial statements to secure more than $30 million in loans, which they used to fund their lavish lifestyle, which was on full display on their reality TV show that went on for 10 seasons. 'And in my dream, God came to me and he said that I have planted you where I need you and when you leave, they will rise,' Chrisley recounted. 'I look back on that dream now and I now understand when he said "when you leave they will rise" because they're rising through President Trump,' the former reality TV star said. 'So I am grateful for that.'
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Todd Chrisley got into prison fight with ‘Varsity Blues' scandal mastermind: ‘I will rip your head off'
"Chrisley Knows Best" star Todd Chrisley recalled how he allegedly clashed behind bars with "Varsity Blues" college admission scandal mastermind Rick Singer. In May, Todd, 57, and his wife Julie, 52, who were incarcerated after being convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion, were released from federal prison after they received pardons from President Donald Trump. During a joint appearance on their daughter Savannah Chrisley's "Unlocked" podcast on Tuesday, Todd and Julie reflected on their experiences when they were serving time in separate facilities in Kentucky and Florida. "Daddy almost got sent to [a different] county one time," Savannah, 27, remembered. "What? When I jumped on that guy? About you?" Todd asked, referring to Singer, who was his fellow inmate at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. Todd went on to slam Singer, branding the former basketball coach a "snitch who told on Lori Loughlin and her husband [fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli]." He claimed that Singer denied his cooperation with the federal investigation. "He was talking smack, saying that, you know, he didn't wear a wire. He never told on anyone. The Feds set him up. This, that and the other," the former reality star alleged. "He came and asked me, he said, 'Have you started your book?' And I said, 'No.' He said, 'I've started working on mine.' And I said, 'Well, I hope that the first chapter introduces you as the biggest snitch in America,'" Todd claimed. "I told him about Felicity and Bill [Huffman's husband William H. Macy, who was not charged in the scandal] and Lori and them, and I said, 'I don't want to ever have another conversation with you.'" Todd said. "And so, he turned around and walked out." However, Todd said that he had another encounter with Singer months later in which he claimed that the former businessman spoke disparagingly of Savannah and her advocacy for her parents' release. "He was talking s--- about Savannah, 'cause that's when s--- already started pulling to Barbara Walters and exposing everything in the BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons]," Todd claimed. "So he started talking smack. And so I just walked up to him and I said, 'I'm gonna say this one more time. I'm already in prison,'" Todd continued. "I said, 'I will rip your head off and s--- down your neck if you talk about my child again.'" "And I meant what I said," he added. "I was like, 'I don't need you to be afraid of me. Just be aware that if my daughter's name comes out of your mouth again, I will rip your head off and s--- down your neck.'" Todd explained that he "never had another problem" with Singer, noting that their heated interactions were "really the only issue" he had during his incarceration. Singer's lawyer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Singer was the ringleader behind the 2019 college admissions scandal in which he received payments totaling over $25 million from numerous parents, including the "Full House" actress and "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman, to help their children gain acceptance into some of the nation's most selective schools with bogus test scores and athletic credentials. Singer began secretly cooperating with investigators and worked with the FBI to record hundreds of phone calls and meetings before the arrest of dozens of parents and athletic coaches in March 2019. In 2023, Singer was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was also ordered to pay $10 million in restitution to the federal government. Loughlin, Giannulli and Huffman also served prison time for their involvement in the case authorities dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues." After spending 16 months at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, Singer was released in August 2024 to serve out his sentence at a half-way house in Los Angeles. Prior to their presidential pardons, Todd and Julie were serving a combined 19-year prison sentence. The pair were released on May 28, and have consistently maintained their innocence.
