Mastermind of US college admission bribery scheme sentenced to 3.5 years

Rick Singer, 62, was handed the longest sentence in the sprawling scandal that shone a spotlight on the secretive system

The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared celebrities, prominent businesspeople and other parents who used their wealth and privilege to buy their kids' way into top-tier schools was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison Wednesday.

The punishment for Rick Singer, 62, is the longest sentence handed down in the sprawling scandal that embarrassed some of the nation's most prestigious universities and put a spotlight on the secretive admissions system already seen as rigged in favor of the rich.