Actresses Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, college coaches — including USC, UCLA — accused in admissions bribery scheme

A prominent senior athletic official and several coaches at USC, as well as another coach at UCLA, are among several charged in a sweeping admissions bribery case unsealed in federal court Tuesday in which the coaches accepted bribes in exchange for admitting students as athletes, regardless of their ability.

Charges have been brought against USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel, men’s and women’s water polo coach Jovan Vavic and former women’s soccer head coach Ali Khosroshahin and former assistant coach Laura Janke. UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo has also been indicted.

Other schools wrapped up in the controversy include Yale, Stanford, Wake Forest, Georgetown. The bribes, which occurred from 2011 through February 2019, ranged from a few thousand dollars to up to $6 million, according to officials. The charging documents, unsealed in Boston federal court, are more than 200 pages long.

Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are among those who allegedly paid an admissions consultant to bribe coaches and administrators to label their children as recruited athletes to boost their chances of getting into schools.

Reportedly in most cases, the students did not know their admission was contingent on a bribe.

Prosecutors allege fake athletic profiles were made to make students look like strong high school athletes when they actually weren’t.

Authorities say the consulting company also bribed administrators of college entrance exams to allow a Florida man to take the tests on behalf of students or replace their answers with his.