The college admissions scandal, explained: 'They knew what they were doing was illegal'

Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin, and 48 others are getting a lesson in the law they’ll never forget.

Dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” federal prosecutors have outlined a far-reaching scheme that allegedly included wealthy individuals bribing college coaches to admit students who had never played on athletic teams (and doctoring photos to make it appear that they did), and working with SAT and ACT proctors to tamper with tests to ensure higher scores for their children.

Loughlin, best known for her role on Full House, and Huffman, of Desperate Housewives fame, have been charged in participating in the scheme. Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, allegedly spent $500,000 in order to get their daughter, social media star Olivia Jade, into USC. Huffman is alleged to have paid $15,000 to help boost her daughter’s SAT score. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, has not been charged with a crime.

So, what happens next? Criminal defense attorney Steven Graff Levine — who has worked on high-profile cases over the years involving stars such as Paris Hilton, Phil Spector and Michael Jackson — has the answers. Watch his explain it all, above.

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