Stanford sailing coach avoids prison time in college admissions scandal

Stanford’s former sailing coach will avoid prison time for his role in what the Justice Department called the “largest college admissions scam” it has ever prosecuted.

U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel on Wednesday sentenced John Vandemoer to one day in prison after he admitted to accepting a variety of bribes in the college admissions cheating scam, The Associated Press reported, noting that Vandemoer was deemed to have served the sentence. 

{mosads}The judge reportedly ordered Vandemoer to pay a $10,000 fine and to serve two years of supervised released and six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring. 

The sentencing makes Vandemoer the first defendant to face penalties for his role in the nationwide scandal. Federal prosecutors in March indicted more than 50 people, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, for their alleged role in the scam. 

The San Francisco Chronicle noted Vandemoer pleaded guilty to taking money for Stanford’s sailing program in exchange for listing certain university applicants as recruits. Vandemoer allegedly did not hold onto any of the money he received. 

The Chronicle reported that the former coach instead deposited checks into team-related accounts for assistant coaches and supplies. 

Prosecutors had reportedly called for a prison sentence of more than a year, saying that it was “the only way to begin restoring confidence in a college admissions system that most people agree is needlessly unfair.”

Vandemoer expressed remorse for his role in the scam, saying in court that he made a “terrible mistake.” 

“And, my mistake impacted the ones I care about the most in ways I could not imagine. I would like to take this time to apologize to the ones I have hurt,” he said.