[Mick]

Varsity Blues is wrapping up.  The US Attorney's status page can be found here.

There are a number of sentencing hearings over the next few months, including the July sentencing for USC coach Vavic and the August sentencing for Rick Singer.  For Singer, the government is recommending incarceration at the low end of the guidelines sentence range, plus 3 years supervised release, plus fine & forfeiture.  

How much conspiracy will be wrapped into a single short sentence??   It seems that he swept up so many other people into his schemes like a pimp, that a short sentence just seems wrong to me.  I believe that none of the coaches or parents would have done these crimes, except for Singer promoting them.

It appears that the government started off suggesting particular sentences (5 months, etc) in 2019, but now are mostly recommending vague sentences: "Incarceration the the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range" for 9 of the remaining 12 to be sentenced.

Sentences imposed versus sentences recommended were very judge-specific.
Counting only defendants who have been sentence when the government recommended specific sentences:
Judge Gorton sentenced 12 to the term in prison recommended by the government, 6 to shorter sentences, and 1 to a bit longer sentence (6 vs 5 months).
Judge Talwani sentenced all 11 to a shorter term in prison than recommended (none to equal or longer terms).
The other 3 judges sentenced 4 to shorter terms and 1 to the recommended term.

Vavic gets Judge Talwani for sentencing.
Singer gets Judge Zobel whose only prior sentencing in this set of trials was 1 day in prison rather than 13 months in prison.

The longest imposed sentence so far is for 15 months in prison.

Singer's accountant Steven Masera will get no additional prison time for helping Singer launder $21 million in illicit funds.  Judge Talwani handed town a time-served judgment and a $20,000 fine, due to his "minor" role in Singer's admissions & cheating plot.  Masera had pled guilty, cooperated with the government's investigations and was granted limited immunity.  Masera invoked the fifth amendment when the defense tried to get him to take the stand and testify.

Masera's RICO conspiracy sentencing guidelines recommended between 46 and 57 months in prison.  Another Singer employee, Mikaela Sanford is facing a time-served request from prosecutors.  She helped falsify tests and applications and took classes for students.  Supposedly she didn't have "full visibility" into the crime scheme.  She's using a public defender.

He admitted to laundering the cash by invoicing and collecting payment from parents, Masera himself didn't reap windfall profits and didn't participate in any of the cheating schemes.

[Mick]

Varsity Blues is wrapping up.  The US Attorney's status page can be found here.

There are a number of sentencing hearings over the next few months, including the July sentencing for USC coach Vavic and the August sentencing for Rick Singer.  For Singer, the government is recommending incarceration at the low end of the guidelines sentence range, plus 3 years supervised release, plus fine & forfeiture.  

How much conspiracy will be wrapped into a single short sentence??   It seems that he swept up so many other people into his schemes like a pimp, that a short sentence just seems wrong to me.  I believe that none of the coaches or parents would have done these crimes, except for Singer promoting them.

It appears that the government started off suggesting particular sentences (5 months, etc) in 2019, but now are mostly recommending vague sentences: "Incarceration the the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range" for 9 of the remaining 12 to be sentenced.

Sentences imposed versus sentences recommended were very judge-specific.
Counting only defendants who have been sentence when the government recommended specific sentences:
Judge Gorton sentenced 12 to the term in prison recommended by the government, 6 to shorter sentences, and 1 to a bit longer sentence (6 vs 5 months).
Judge Talwani sentenced all 11 to a shorter term in prison than recommended (none to equal or longer terms).
The other 3 judges sentenced 4 to shorter terms and 1 to the recommended term.

Vavic gets Judge Talwani for sentencing.
Singer gets Judge Zobel whose only prior sentencing in this set of trials was 1 day in prison rather than 13 months in prison.

The longest imposed sentence so far is for 15 months in prison.

Singer's accountant Steven Masera will get no additional prison time for helping Singer launder $21 million in illicit funds.  Judge Talwani handed town a time-served judgment and a $20,000 fine, due to his "minor" role in Singer's admissions & cheating plot.  Masera had pled guilty, cooperated with the government's investigations and was granted limited immunity.  Masera invoked the fifth amendment when the defense tried to get him to take the stand and testify.

Masera's RICO conspiracy sentencing guidelines recommended between 46 and 57 months in prison.  Another Singer employee, Mikaela Sanford is facing a time-served request from prosecutors.  She helped falsify tests and applications and took classes for students.  Supposedly she didn't have "full visibility" into the crime scheme.  She's using a public defender.

He admitted to laundering the cash by invoicing and collecting payment from parents, Masera himself didn't reap windfall profits and didn't participate in any of the cheating schemes.