3 North Bay Parents Newly Indicted In College Admissions Scandal

NORTH BAY, CA — Three North Bay residents were among 16 parents — including longtime "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin — indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Boston in a new, superseding document that includes an additional allegation of conspiring to launder money in the college admissions scandal.

The parents are accused of laundering money by funneling bribes and payments through a purported charity run by college consultant William "Rick" Singer. The scheme consisted of falsifying children's college entrance exam results or bribing coaches and college administrators in phony athletic recruitments, or both. The bribes allegedly typically amounted to $200,000 to $400,000 per child, according to the indictment.

The new money laundering charge and a previous charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud each carry a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The revised indictment also folds in three other parents who were previously indicted on those two charges — Gregory and Amy Colburn of Palo Alto and David Sidoo of Vancouver — for a total of 19 defendants.

Another 13 of the 33 parents arrested last month — including Napa Valley winery owner Agustin Huneeus Jr. —have agreed to plead guilty to various charges and to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for receiving a recommendation of a sentence on the "low end" of prison time.

One other parent remains charged with mail fraud conspiracy in a previous criminal complaint issued in March.

Newly indicted Bay Area parents include Diane Blake, 55, and Todd Blake, 53, of Ross; Elizabeth and Manuel Henriquez, both 56, of Atherton; William McGlashan Jr., 55, of Mill Valley; and Marci Palatella, 63, of Hillsborough.

Lori Loughlin's husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli of Los Angeles, is also named. The couple is accused of paying Singer $500,000 to arrange the admission of their two daughters to the University of Southern California as supposed crew recruits.

Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said a date for arraignment on the new charges has not yet been set. The grand jury indictment means that a preliminary hearing on the previous criminal complaint will not be necessary.

Singer pleaded guilty last month to charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice, and has been cooperating with prosecutors.

— By Bay City News Service; Patch local editor Maggie Avants contributed to this report.