Greenwich Attorney Named In Elite College Admissions Scandal

GREENWICH, CT — Gordon Caplan, a Greenwich resident and co-Chairman of the prestigious New York City law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, has been named as one of the parents indicted in the massive federal college admissions scandal, according to prosecutors.

Caplan is one of 50 people indicted in the scheme, in which several families are accused of paying tens of thousands of dollars to a California college prep firm that allegedly bribed coaches, administrators, testing company employees and others to ensure students got into elite schools.

In addition to Caplan, others in the indictment included famous actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

The federal case, investigated under the codename Operation Varsity Blues, spans 2011 to 2019. During that time Newport Beach, CA resident William "Rick" Singer, 58, owner of Edge College & Career Network LLC, was paid a total of about $25 million by families to help get their children into the likes of Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, USC and other elite universities and colleges.

Caplan allegedly wired $75,000 in order to have his daughter's ACT scores corrected in order for her to get a higher score, according to a criminal complaint. A conversation he had with a cooperating witness was wiretapped, writes Above the Law. The cooperating witness guaranteed an ACT score in the 30s or any score Caplan wanted within a couple of points.

As part of the alleged conspiracy, Caplan's daughter was fraudulently diagnosed as having a learning disability with a psychologist that would allow for time extension to take the test. She would then take the test with a proctor in California that would change her answers to correct ones, according to the criminal complaint.

He has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

In some of the other cases, coaches allegedly were paid bribes to place students onto lists as recruited athletes, regardless of their ability, in order to increase their chances to get into these elite schools.

Click here to read the indictment announcement from the United States Justice Department's Massachusetts District.

— Patch Editor Rich Scinto contributed to this report.

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