Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges on Monday afternoon for her role in the college admissions scandal. Prosecutors said the Desperate Housewives actress paid the scheme's ringleader William “Rick” Singer $15,000 (£11,500) to doctor her daughter Sofia Grace Macy's SAT score.
Huffman agreed to plead guilty last month to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She is married to actor William H. Macy, who has not been charged in the case, but has appeared in court as support.
Prosecutors recommended four months in prison for Huffman. But legal experts told the L.A. Times there is a strong chance she will get electronic monitoring via ankle bracelet instead of actual prison time.
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Based on 2019 federal sentencing guidelines, four to 10 months is the standard prison sentence for Huffman's charge. However, because she has no criminal history and her financial contribution to the scandal is considerably smaller than others, her recommended sentence is on the lower end.
"She was first out the gate to take responsibility and will be handsomely rewarded for it, especially if the other defendants drag their feet, which [we're] beginning to see," Louis Shapiro, an L.A. federal defence attorney, told the L.A. Times last month.
Huffman was one of 33 parents, including actress Lori Loughlin, charged in March as part of the scheme, in which wealthy families paid Singer to help their children cheat on tests or pose as recruited athletes in order to help them gain admission to top universities.
"I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions, and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions," Huffman wrote in an apology back in April. "I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and the educational community." She also apologised "to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly."