As the Netflix doc lays out in both real-life news footage and ripped-from-the-headlines dramatizations (in which Singer is portrayed by MatthewModine), Singer helped his “clients” secure placements for their college-aged children at colleges like USC, Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and UCLA by fabricating fake sports credentials, as well as helping them cheat on the SATs and ACTs. While many of Singer’s high-profile co-conspirators—including Felicity HuffmanandLori Loughlin—have already served their sentences, Singer is (spoiler alert!) still a free man as of the doc’s debut, even though he got busted by the feds way back in 2019. (Loughlin’s husband, fashion icon Mossimo Giannulli, is currently serving his own five-month sentence for his role in the scam and is expected to be released from prison next month.) Keep reading to find out why Singer still hasn’t been sentenced—and what his future may have in store.
Did Rick Singer plead guilty for his role in the college admissions scandal?
Yes. In March 2019, he entered guilty pleas to four felony charges: money laundering conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruction of justice. He presumably could’ve faced far steeper charges if he hadn’t agreed to cooperate with the FBI to help ensnare several of the parents who participated in his scam.
Why hasn’t Rick Singer been sentenced yet?
One possible reason Singer hasn’t been sentenced yet is because, according to the documentary, he still has to testify at other defendants’ trials, meaning that his cooperation in those court appearances might influence how long (or short) of a sentence he ultimately receives. Singer also still hasn’t received a date for his future sentencing.
How long of a sentence will Rick Singer receive?
CNN reported in March 2019 that Singer is facing a maximum 65 years in prison, as well as more than $1 million in fines. (At the time the scandal broke, he was reportedly worth $25 million.)
Where is Rick Singer now?
Singer was living in California in 2019 when the FBI announced its bombshell investigation into his fraud scheme. Since then, one of the last Singer sightings occurred in May 2020, when TMZ spotted him paddleboarding in a Speedo in Newport Beach, California. That was just days before Loughlin and Giannulli pled guilty to their charges stemming from the scam in a Massachusetts courtroom.
What is Rick Singer doing now? Is he still a college coach?
In July 2020, it was reported that Singer was working toward earning a Ph.D. in psychology at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. He’d enrolled at the school in November 2019, about eight months after his scandal broke open. (No word on whether he snuck into GCU through one of his patented “side doors” or applied the old-fashioned way!) He later either dropped out or got expelled. Next, read up on the College Admissions Scandal Netflix documentary.
