Former Key Worldwide Employee Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Case

BOSTON – A former employee of William “Rick” Singer’s “The Key” for-profit business has agreed to plead guilty in connection with her involvement in a scheme to use bribery and fraud to facilitate the admission of applicants to colleges nationwide.

Mikaela Sanford, 34, of Folsom, Calif., will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines, one year of supervised release, a fine, forfeiture in the amount of $67,062 and restitution.

According to the superseding indictment, Sanford, who was employed by “The Key,” took online classes for students so that the students could submit the grades Sanford earned in their names as part of their application packages to college and universities. In other instances, Sanford helped fabricate athletic “profiles” and other documents to bolster students’ college applications by making the students appear to be highly successful high school athletes when, in fact, they were not. 

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney, Karin M. Bell and Stephen E. Frank of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.