Little did struggling college students know they were funding an academic swindler when stocking up on their favorite microwavable meal for the semester.
On Tuesday, Michelle Janavs, heiress to the Hot Pockets fortune, was sentenced to five months in prison for her role in “Operation Varsity Blues.” Though prosecutors sought two years in prison, referring to her as one of the “most culpable parents” in the college bribery scandal, the judge settled on just five months.
“Janavs, whose family developed Hot Pockets, admitted to paying Rick Singer — the consultant at the center of the scandal — $100,000 to have a proctor correct her daughters’ ACT exam answers,” Fox News said of her crimes. “She also paid $200,000 to have one of her daughters labeled as a fake beach volleyball recruit at the University of Southern California.”
Janavs’ sentence was worsened by the fact prosecutors hit her with a money-laundering conspiracy charge. Her defense, however, attempted to lay the blame on Rick Singer, alleging he used “manipulative sales tactics” to exploit her motherly concern, recommending that the court let Janavs’ shame and humiliation be punishment enough.
“The fallout from Michelle’s actions stand as a beacon to others that illegal shortcuts are a recipe for disaster, regardless of the punishment the court imposes on Michelle,” her lawyers wrote.
Speaking before the court, Janavs expressed sorrow for her role in the scandal. “I’m so very sorry I tried to create an unfair advantage for my children,” she said.
Janavs will report to prison on April 7 and is the 17th defendant sentenced in “Operation Varsity Blues.” Actress Lori Loughlin (“Full House”) has plead not guilty for her involvement in the scandal and will stand trial along with her husband, Massimo Gianulli, in October of this year.
In April of last year, actress Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty for her role in “Operation Varsity Blues,” confessing to paying $15,000 to an admissions consultant to manipulate her older daughter’s SAT answers. In a statement at the time, Huffman said she accepted full responsibility for her actions and apologized.
“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 said in the statement. “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them.”
“I want to apologize 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,” she continued. “My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
As a result of her confession, Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison while being ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, face a year of supervised release, and serve 250 hours of community service.
Upon her release, Felicity Huffman pledged that she would do charity work to help women leaving prison.