Gregory and Marcia Abbott, New York and Aspen, Colorado
Gregory Abbott
Gregory, 68, is the founder and chairman of a food and beverage packaging company.
In April Abbott made a $50,000 donation to Rick Singer’s non-profit corporation and purported charity, Key Worldwide Foundation in exchange for having his daughter’s ACT answers corrected after she had completed the test. The payment was made four days before she sat her test.
Their daughter received a score of 35 out of a possible 36. Her undoctored score was 23.
In June 2018 Abbot’s wife Marcia called to arrange for someone to also take SAT subject tests for her daughter. She told Singer that Duke University had informed the couple that they wouldn’t accept anything below a score of 750. In taped telephone conversations Singer was recorded assuring Marcia, ‘We’ll get 750 and above.’ To which she replied, ‘That’s fabulous.’
Her daughter received 800 out of 800 in math and 710 in literature.
In September the Abbott Family Foundation made a purported donation of $75,000 to the KWF charity. Abbott enquired how his daughter had done on her own and was told she scored in the mid 600s.
Gamal Abdelaziz
Gamal Abdelaziz, 62, Las Vegas
Former senior executive of a resort and casino operator in Macau, China.
In 2017 Abdelaziz conspired to have his daughter recruited to the University of South California basketball team in return for a payment of $200,000 made in monthly installments of $20,000.
In March 2018 Abdelaziz wired a purported contribution of $300,000 to KWF. His daughter matriculated at USC in the fall of 2018 but did not join the basketball team.
I-Hsin ‘Joey’ Chen, 64, Newport Beach, California
Operates a provider of warehousing and related services for the shipping industry
In April 2018 Chen is accused of having paid $75,000 to have Mark Riddell – who has pleaded guilty to fraudulently taking and correcting students’ college entrance exams – purport to proctor his son’s ACT test and correct the answers.
Chen’s son scored 33 out of 36.
Robert Flaxman, 62, Laguna Beach, California
Robert Flaxman
Former CEO of a real estate development firm
Flaxman took part in both the college entrance exam scheme and the college recruitment scheme to secure his son’s admission to the University of San Diego in 2016 and fraudulently enhance his daughter’s ACT scores.
Between May and June 2016 Flaxman paid $250,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to USD as an athlete.
In April and September 2016 Flaxman’s daughter took her ACT twice receiving scores of 20 and 24 respectively out of a possible 36.
The day before she took the test a third time Flaxman wired a payment of $75,000 to KWF. On her third attempt his daughter scored 28.
Agustin Huneeus Jr, 53, San Francisco, California
Agustin Huneeus Jr
Owner of vineyards in Napa and elsewhere.
Huneeus allegedly took part in both the exam cheating and the college recruitment scheme paying a total of $250,000 to have his daughter’s entrance to USC secured. He made a ‘donation’ of $50,000 to KWF in exchange for his daughter being assisted during her SATs and having mistakes corrected.
She scored 1380 out of 1600, which is in the 96th percentile nationally. When Huneeus complained about the score saying it could have been 1550. Singer was recorded telling him that had she scored so highly, ‘I would have got investigated for sure based on her grades.’
Huneeus paid a further $200,000 to have her designated a water polo recruit to USC. Her admission letter noted, ‘our records indicate that you have the potential to make a significant contribution to the intercollegiate athletic program.’
Elisabeth Kimmel
Elisabeth Kimmel, 54, Las Vegas
Owner and President of a media company
She took part in the scheme to facilitate her daughter’s entrance to Georgetown as a tennis recruit and her son’s admission to USC as a purported track recruit.
Kimmel allegedly paid a total of $275,000, over three separate donations, for her daughter who was admitted as a tennis recruit but never took part in the tennis program. She went onto put down $250,000 to have her son designated a pole-vaulter to guarantee admission to the college of his choice. An FBI wiretap recorded a conversation in which Kimmel anxiously informed Singer that, when her son’s student advisor noted that he was a track athlete, he said that no he was not, as he had no knowledge of the scheme. Unaware of the sting already in play she commented, ‘So we have to hope this advisor doesn’t start poking around.’
Michelle Janavs, 48, Newport California
Michelle Janavas
Former executive of a large food manufacturer
Janavs allegedly participated in both the college entrance exam cheating and false athletic recruitment to gain fraudulently high ACT scores for her two daughters and admission to USC for her eldest who was accepted as a purported beach volleyball recruit.
Across two checks in October and November 2017 she purportedly donated $100,000 to KWF in return for falsified ACT results for her eldest daughter who received 32 out of 36 and paid a further $50,000 to secure her athletic designation. In January and February 2019 she deposited two checks of $25,000 with KWF in return for a guaranteed score of between 33 and 35 on her younger daughter’s ACT results. In engaging Singer she expressed concerns that her daughter might question why she had to take the test at a certain center and why she needed a proctor at all. Unlike her older sister who thought the tests ‘bull***’ she said, ‘[my younger daughter] is like actually studying to try to get a 34.’
Stephen Semprevivo
Stephen Semprevivo, 53, Menlo Park, California
Packaged food entrepreneur
His involvement in the scheme allegedly dates back to 2015 with the admission of his son to Georgetown as a designated tennis player despite the fact that he did not play competitive tennis. The Semprevivo family trust made a purported donation of $400,000 to KWF six days after the boy was formally accepted to Georgetown in April 2016. He matriculated in the Fall of 2016 and has not joined the tennis team.
Todd and Diane Blake, San Francisco
Blake, 53, is an entrepreneur and investor and wife Diane, 55, is an executive at a retail-merchandising firm in San Francisco.
The couple contacted Singer in January 2017 after their daughter expressed interest in USC – a school they deemed within the ‘reach stretch category.’ On Singer’s guidance they put down $250,000 in two checks – a $50,000 donation to USC Women’s Athletics and a $200,000 donation to KWF – to have her designated a recruit to women’s volleyball. The girl was admitted to USC in March 2018. She is not currently enrolled is not on the roster for the women’s volleyball team.
Before the scam was exposed the couple had spoken to Singer about wanting to engage him to assist their son in his college admissions bid.
Marjorie Klapper, of Menlo Park, California
Co-owner of a jewelry business
In November 2017 Klapper allegedly paid $15,000 to KWF for cheating on her son’s ACT exam. On Singer’s instruction she sought medical letters to allow her son 50% more time to take the test to allow for the fraud to be perpetrated. She had tried for double. Her son scored 30 out of 36. Contacted by Singer, by then co-operating with the FBI and had been instructed to tell clients that the charity was being audited and that he wanted to make sure their ‘stories aligned’ regarding the payment she commented, ‘It’s so fun.’ And confirmed, ‘I’m gonna say, ‘I wrote it to support the foundation, which serves underprivileged kids.’
William McGlashan Jr, 55, of Mill Valley, California
William ‘Bill’ McGlashan
Senior executive at a global equity firm.
In November 2017 McGlashan allegedly agreed to donate $50,000 to KWF on the understanding that Singer would arrange for his son to sit his ACT exam at a test center he ‘controlled’ so he could have Riddell correct the answers.
Cell phone records obtained by the FBI place McGlashan’s son in Marin County on the day in December 2017 he was supposedly taking the exam in Los Angeles. He received 34 out of 36.
McGlashan was also taped discussing his desire to repeat the process with his younger son and daughter both of whom he was seeking to have classified with learning difficulties to grant them more time to sit the tests.
Singer quoted a price of $250,000 to have his son accepted into the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy
Marci Palatella, 63, Healdsburg, California
Marci Palatella
CEO of a liquor distribution company.
Palatella allegedly took part in both the college entrance exam cheating and athletic recruitment scheme to secure her son’s admission to USC. She allegedly obtained medical documentation to apply for more time for him to sit both his ACT and SAT. In March 2017 she wired $75,000 to KWF. Her son scored 1410 out of 1600 on the SAT. Having secured a false profile as a football player he received a conditional acceptance in November 2017.
The next day Palatella mailed a $100,000 check payable to the USC Women’s Athletic Board. Six days after her son’s full acceptance in March 2018 she wired $400,000 to KWF.
Robert Zangrillo, 52, Miami, Florida
Robert Zangrillo
Founder and CEO of private investment firm.
Zangrillo donated a total of $250,000 to KWF after his daughter’s initial application to USC in 2017 was rejected. Second time round she was falsely designated an athlete with the university’s rowing crew. Her academic performance was also faked with a proxy retaking classes she was failing. According to the complaint Zangrillo’s daughter was aware of the scam. In recorded conversations with Singer, when asked if the plans made sense, both Zangrillo and his daughter replied, ‘Yes.’
She was admitted in June 2019.