An alleged key player in the college admissions scam that has implicated high-profile figures such as actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman is expected to plead guilty, admitting to his role. Many parents had paid thousands of dollars to The Key Foundation in exchange for help cheating on their children’s college entrance exam. Now Mark Riddell, an alleged test taker, is set to appear in court on Friday, according to ABC’s Good Morning America.
Riddell allegedly served as a private proctor for students’ exams, then essentially took the test for them and submitted his answers instead of theirs. He is accused of taking the SAT exam for students including Huffman’s daughter, flying from Tampa to Los Angeles to “proctor” her exam in 2017 and getting her a score of 1420, which was roughly 400 points higher than her PSAT score. Huffman pleaded guilty in the case, but insisted her daughter had no knowledge of the scheme.
Riddell allegedly received $10,000 from Key Foundation head William “Rick” Singer for each test he took. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said during a press conference that Riddell didn’t have any special knowledge of the exams, he was just very good at taking them.
“He was just a really smart guy,” Lelling said. “He did not have inside information about the correct answers. He was just smart enough to get a near-perfect scores on demand.”
In a statement through his attorney, Riddell said, “I am profoundly sorry for the damage I have done and grief I have caused those as a result of my needless actions.”
Riddell faces up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors are reportedly recommending a lighter sentence.
[Image via Paul Marotta/Getty Images]
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