Ex-CEO Receives Longest Sentence for 'Appalling' Scam

Judge gives Douglas Hodge, who paid $850,000 to get his kids into college, 9 months in prison
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 7, 2020 3:15 PM CST
Ex-CEO Receives Longest Sentence for 'Appalling' Scam
USC, in a stock photo.   (Getty/Wolterk)

Douglas Hodge, the 14th parent sentenced in the college admissions bribery scandal, received nine months in prison Friday—the longest term in the case so far. Hodge pleaded guilty last fall to paying $850,000 in bribes to get four of his children into the University of Southern California and Georgetown, falsely presenting them as athletic recruits. "Mr. Hodge, your conduct in this whole sordid case is appalling and mind-boggling at the same time," a federal judge told him in a Boston court. The judge also fined Hodge $750,000 and ordered him to perform 500 hours of community service, USA Today reports. "For over a decade, this defendant led a secret life," a prosecutor said. "When no one was looking, this defendant stole four admissions spots from more deserving students."

Hodge, who once ran the bond management company Pimco, was in as deep as anyone. He cut deals with Rick Singer, mastermind of the scheme, five times in 11 years. In court, Hodge said he realized he took college spots from parents and children who had their own aspirations. "To those children, and their parents, I can only express my deepest and sincerest regret," he said, per the Los Angeles Times. In all, 53 people are charged in the scam, 31 of whom have now pleaded guilty or agreed to enter guilty pleas. (The sentence may not be great news for actress Lori Loughlin, who opted not to plead guilty and awaits trial.)

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