David Sidoo, a prominent Vancouver philanthropist, has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in U.S. federal court for allegedly paying someone to take his two sons' college entrance exams. Sidoo is part of a large indictment that U.S. prosecutors are calling a “nationwide conspiracy,” and which has led to similar charges against actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

In Sidoo’s case, the indictment alleges he paid someone $100,000 to take his oldest son’s SAT, an entrance exam required by most U.S. colleges and universities.

That person allegedly flew from Tampa, Florida to Vancouver to take the test in December 2011. It’s alleged the person was directed not to obtain too high a score because Sidoo‘s oldest son had previously taken the test himself and scored 1460 out of 2400. The person who took the test scored 1670 out of a possible 2400, which was sent to Chapman University in Orange, California on behalf of Sidoo’s oldest son, who was accepted to the school.

It’s alleged Sidoo paid that same person to take his oldest son’s high school graduation exam in Vancouver a few months later. The indictment also alleges Sidoo paid $100,000 to have someone take his youngest son’s SAT in the fall of 2012. That score, 2280 out of a possible 2400, is said to have got him accepted to the University of California Berkley in March 2014.

Sidoo is a former UBC Thunderbirds football player who spent several years in the CFL. After his football career he became a stock broker in 1988, and was a founding shareholder of an oil and gas company that was sold in December 2010 for over US$600 million. His personal website describes him as “a successful businessman based in Vancouver where he oversees a successful private investment banking and financial management firm,” and he was awarded the order of B.C. in 2016.

A statement to CTV News from his lawyer, Richard A. Schonfeld, reads: “David Sidoo has been repeatedly recognized for his philanthropic endeavors, which is the true testament to his character. The charge that has been lodged against David is an allegation that carries with it the presumption that he is innocent. We look forward to presenting our case in court, and ask that people don't rush to judgment in the meantime.”

Sidoo is among dozens of wealthy parents now facing charges in the criminal investigation that went by the name "Operation Varsity Blues." According to federal prosecutors, the scheme generally involved two parts: First, parents paid a college prep organization to have someone take their child’s SAT for them, then that same organization bribed college coaches to help admit students as recruited athletes, regardless of their abilities.

Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Felicity Huffman has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The indictment alleges she discussed the scheme on a recorded phone call with a cooperating witness. Actor Lori Loughlin, who’s currently shooting the Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart” in Langley, is facing the same charges in the central district of California. Her fashion designer husband is also facing charges, and the indictment alleges both were recorded on calls with a cooperating witness discussing their daughters college admissions. Huffman and Loughlin have not provided any response to the allegations.

"This case is about the widening corruption of elite college admissions through the steady application of wealth combined with fraud," said Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. “ There can be no separate college admission system for the wealthy, and I'll add that there will not be a separate criminal justice system either."

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

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