Former Yale University soccer coach Rudolph Meredith was sentenced in a Boston federal court to five months in prison for his involvement in the college-admissions cheating scandal that also ensnared executives and Hollywood stars, a harsher sentence than even the prosecutors had recommended. Meredith took $860,000 in bribes from corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer, and agreed to a $450,000 payment directly from at least one parent, in exchange for facilitating teens’ admission to Yale as soccer players, reports the Wall Street Journal. He cooperated immediately with prosecutors in the investigation they dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, and calls between him and Singer, recorded by federal authorities, helped lead to Singer’s arrest.
Singer has pleaded guilty to four federal charges, and will be sentenced in January. More than 50 people were charged in connection with the $25 million conspiracy, including former Pacific Investment Management Co. chief executive Douglas Hodge, actress Felicity Huffman, coaches at top colleges and Singer's employees. The majority took plea deals, with sentences ranging from time served to 2.5 years in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf sentenced Meredith to one year of supervised release and ordered payment of $19,000 fine. Meredith must forfeit nearly $558,000, on top of the $308,000 he has already paid.