Nate Raymond

BOSTON (Reuters), A former University of Southern California assistant professor of Dentistry was sentenced Wednesday to six months imprisonment after filing a false return regarding the U.S. college admissions scam.

Federal prosecutors in Boston had charged Homayoun Zdeh (60) with agreeing that $100,000 would be paid to his daughter to get into USC. He also falsely claimed on a 2017 return that some money went to charity.

Prosecutors claimed that the charity was run by William “Rick”, a California college admissions specialist, who used the money to bribe Zadeh to get her daughter admission to USC to play fake lacrosse.

“Why would you do such a thing for your little girl?” Zadeh was told by Nathaniel Gorton, U.S. District Judge. It is a mind-boggling thought.

Zadeh, who had pleaded guilty to the charges in July, said before being sentenced that he was deeply sorry.

Zadeh was one of the 57 persons charged in Operation Varsity Blues. This investigation ensnared celebrity business leaders and revealed inequalities at U.S. universities.

Singer pleaded guilty to cheating college entrance exams in 2019, and to helping to bribe athletic officials and coaches to get children admitted as fake athletes.

Over forty-eight individuals have already pleaded guilty to the charges, which includes Felicity Huffman (actress) and Lori Loughlin (actress). Recently, two parents were convicted in a trial.

Prosecutors claimed that Zadeh paid $65,000 towards the $100,000 when he was arrested in 2019. To inflate his refund of taxes, Zadeh took $40,000 off his federal income tax.

Gorton was threatening to reject Zadeh’s plea agreement. It called for six weeks of imprisonment and a $20,000 fine. Gorton cited an apparent inability to accept responsibility.

Zadeh’s lawyer had raised objections against a report from the probation department and was allowed to withdraw their objections. Zadeh will also have to pay $8.400 in restitution for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.