
A former Yale University soccer coach was given a five-month prison term for his part in a college admissions scandal.
Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, was a key figure in the 2019 “Varsity Blues” scandal. The scandal saw wealthy parents commit fraud on behalf of their children with the intention of getting them into prestigious universities that they otherwise would not have been admitted to. Some of that fraud was around exam scores. Some of that fraud was around athletic credentials. The applications of athletic recruits are generally looked upon more favorably.
For his part, Meredith took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for taking unqualified recruits onto the team.
Meredith was one of the key perpetrators who worked with prosecutors to help uncover the scope of the scheme led by William “Rick” Singer. However, this did not save him from prison time as prosecutors initially recommended. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf said Wednesday that Meredith’s crime needed a stiffer consequence and sentenced him to five years in prison.
Other coaches and parents have already been prosecuted and sentenced including actress Lori Loughlin who was sentenced to two months in prison in December of 2020.