College Entrance Scam includes former Yale Women's Soccer Coach

[lafalafa]

Well I guess the politicians and More college admins wanted to get in on the ACT

"Mark Ridley-Thomas is accused of of conspiring with the then dean of USC’s School of Social Work, to steer county money to the school in return for admitting his son into graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship"

L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and ex-USC dean indicted on bribery charges

A former USC dean is charged with paying off Mark Ridley-Thomas in exchange for millions of dollars in L.A. County contracts with the university.

www.latimes.com

Dude get over it. Cromwell is still employed at UCLA. TS is a convicted felon. But, according to you TS, the Feds, UCLA, its administrators are all covering up for her. The power that woman possesses!

Sure.

There covering up for themselves as documented, your just too dense or gullible to put 2+2 together. Your wild speculation excuses about what they actually did was proven wrong ever time you posted and this one is no different.

Ethics be damn we will just abuse the system to do favors like you said, at least you got that right while adding zero new content or evidence to the conversation.

 

[GoldenGate]

Ethics be damn we will just abuse the system to do favors like you said, at least you got that right while adding zero new content or evidence to the conversation.

Wait one second. He and others have pointed out that no one, not the LA Times, the feds, the NCAA, UCLA or the UC system has found anything Cromwell did wrong. Yet here you are demanding that he provide evidence to refute a conspiracy theory for which you can provide absolutely zero evidence that Cromwell did something unethical, and you can't even articulate what the conspiracy was. If there's anyone who should STFU because they don't have any proof of anything, it's you. Seriously, you're claiming someone is wrong to speculate about your speculation?

We all know Isacksen wasn't good enough to actually play. But we all also know that players end up on D1 teams all the time that had no business being there for lots of reasons. Ever heard of Snoop's kid? P Diddy's? Kory Alford? USC even made an offer to a 7 year old because they thought it might help land Marvin Bagley. Kids end up on rosters all the time who everyone knows will never play but the expectation is they'll be a good example and help when they can or can help recruit kids who can actually play. Is any of it illegal? No. Violate NCAA policies? No. Violate school policies? I guess that depends on the school and what happened.

You have zero information explaining what Cromwell's reason was for allowing it to happen. If she let her on the team because Salcedo told her it might help him recruit someone else, great, good for her being a team player. If she let her on the team because she wanted a practice player who would happily pick up cones (or serve as one) and carry water without causing trouble, and relied on Salcedo's recommendation, also great. Honestly, if you asked 100 D1 coaches whether they would rather fill a final roster spot with a practice player who accepts from the start that they will never, ever play but will gladly help out however possible, or a kid with unrealistic expectations and a dad like crush who will do nothing but cause trouble for the program over lack of playing time, anti-vax demands and hating kneelers, all 100 are going with Isaksen.

 

[lafalafa]

Wait one second. He and others have pointed out that no one, not the LA Times, the feds, the NCAA, UCLA or the UC system has found anything Cromwell did wrong. Yet here you are demanding that he provide evidence to refute a conspiracy theory for which you can provide absolutely zero evidence that Cromwell did something unethical, and you can't even articulate what the conspiracy was. If there's anyone who should STFU because they don't have any proof of anything, it's you. Seriously, you're claiming someone is wrong to speculate about your speculation?

We all know Isacksen wasn't good enough to actually play. But we all also know that players end up on D1 teams all the time that had no business being there for lots of reasons. Ever heard of Snoop's kid? P Diddy's? Kory Alford? USC even made an offer to a 7 year old because they thought it might help land Marvin Bagley. Kids end up on rosters all the time who everyone knows will never play but the expectation is they'll be a good example and help when they can or can help recruit kids who can actually play. Is any of it illegal? No. Violate NCAA policies? No. Violate school policies? I guess that depends on the school and what happened.

You have zero information explaining what Cromwell's reason was for allowing it to happen. If she let her on the team because Salcedo told her it might help him recruit someone else, great, good for her being a team player. If she let her on the team because she wanted a practice player who would happily pick up cones (or serve as one) and carry water without causing trouble, and relied on Salcedo's recommendation, also great. Honestly, if you asked 100 D1 coaches whether they would rather fill a final roster spot with a practice player who accepts from the start that they will never, ever play but will gladly help out however possible, or a kid with unrealistic expectations and a dad like crush who will do nothing but cause trouble for the program over lack of playing time, anti-vax demands and hating kneelers, all 100 are going with Isaksen.

Thanks for proving my points appreciate that.

Her's was the only name on the indictment see post 70 besides JC that indicated she participated in the charade from the get go. Call that a team player all you want but that's type of unethical team player anybody needs.

A simple no would have suffice but she didn't do that obviously so you can troll on with your fake alias name all you want.

 

[GoldenGate]

Thanks for proving my points appreciate that.

Her's was the only name on the indictment see post 70 besides JC that indicated she participated in the charade from the get go. Call that a team player all you want but that's type of unethical team player anybody needs.

A simple no would have suffice but she didn't do that obviously so you can troll on with your fake alias name all you want.

Cromwell was being the team player by taking her on, not Isaksen, idiot. There is no evidence that Cromwell did anything unethical. None. Carry on with your conspiracy theories about the election being stolen, vaccines containing microchips and UCLA, the UC system, the LA Times and the feds all covering up criminal behavior by the coach of a program that loses almost three times as much as it generates in revenue.

 

[lafalafa]

Cromwell was being the team player by taking her on, not Isaksen, idiot. There is no evidence that Cromwell did anything unethical. None. Carry on with your conspiracy theories about the election being stolen, vaccines containing microchips and UCLA, the UC system, the LA Times and the feds all covering up criminal behavior by the coach of a program that loses almost three times as much as it generates in revenue.

Troll on. You're the biggest waste of space and time on this board.

At least GT is a mostly positive contributor, we may have a difference of opinion but that fine with me.

Nothing unethical about a fake player that was ran through compliance, received college credit, on a roster for two years as a "practice player" or manager depending on which spokesperson went on record stating multiple times.

No conspiracy theories needed there was a bunch of enablers as documented. Systematic problem that's apparently still on going as MRT and a Dean at USC where charged this week.

 

[espola]

Wait one second. He and others have pointed out that no one, not the LA Times, the feds, the NCAA, UCLA or the UC system has found anything Cromwell did wrong. Yet here you are demanding that he provide evidence to refute a conspiracy theory for which you can provide absolutely zero evidence that Cromwell did something unethical, and you can't even articulate what the conspiracy was. If there's anyone who should STFU because they don't have any proof of anything, it's you. Seriously, you're claiming someone is wrong to speculate about your speculation?

We all know Isacksen wasn't good enough to actually play. But we all also know that players end up on D1 teams all the time that had no business being there for lots of reasons. Ever heard of Snoop's kid? P Diddy's? Kory Alford? USC even made an offer to a 7 year old because they thought it might help land Marvin Bagley. Kids end up on rosters all the time who everyone knows will never play but the expectation is they'll be a good example and help when they can or can help recruit kids who can actually play. Is any of it illegal? No. Violate NCAA policies? No. Violate school policies? I guess that depends on the school and what happened.

You have zero information explaining what Cromwell's reason was for allowing it to happen. If she let her on the team because Salcedo told her it might help him recruit someone else, great, good for her being a team player. If she let her on the team because she wanted a practice player who would happily pick up cones (or serve as one) and carry water without causing trouble, and relied on Salcedo's recommendation, also great. Honestly, if you asked 100 D1 coaches whether they would rather fill a final roster spot with a practice player who accepts from the start that they will never, ever play but will gladly help out however possible, or a kid with unrealistic expectations and a dad like crush who will do nothing but cause trouble for the program over lack of playing time, anti-vax demands and hating kneelers, all 100 are going with Isaksen.

The issue as I saw it was that the coach had a limited number of passes she could hand out to allow players to skip past the usual entrance requirements, and she stood aside while one was sold to a non-player, even if she didn't get any of the money.

 

[MacDre]

Troll on. You're the biggest waste of space and time on this board.

At least GT is a mostly positive contributor, we may have a difference of opinion but that fine with me.

Nothing unethical about a fake player that was ran through compliance, received college credit, on a roster for two years as a "practice player" or manager depending on which spokesperson went on record stating multiple times.

No conspiracy theories needed there was a bunch of enablers as documented. Systematic problem that's apparently still on going as MRT and a Dean at USC where charged this week.

I kinda get what you are saying but there is a lack of evidence.

I know a lot from personal experience that the Feds love to play a dirty little game called CONSPIRACY. I am shocked that Cromwell did not go down with JS on a conspiracy charge.

From my personal experience, when someone doesn’t go down it’s because they are a snitch/reliable source working for the government. I think it’s plausible that the initial snitch had limited information and Cromwell was the weak leak in the chain and when pressed she got diarrhea about the mouth.

 

[younothat]

Well I guess the politicians and More college admins wanted to get in on the ACT

"Mark Ridley-Thomas is accused of of conspiring with the then dean of USC’s School of Social Work, to steer county money to the school in return for admitting his son into graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship"

L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and ex-USC dean indicted on bribery charges

A former USC dean is charged with paying off Mark Ridley-Thomas in exchange for millions of dollars in L.A. County contracts with the university.

www.latimes.com

Don't know if this is surprising or we've just become dull to this kind of graft going on?

Where are the check and balances for these "special" acceptances via college officials or through these back room deals?

Compliance people, committees, auditors or what? Do you just need a dean, coach, or committee approval to get admitted? . Regular students perhaps but athlete needs much more. Once there attending college that's a whole different ball game.

As far as this case, feds only interested in federal charges like conspiracy or bribery so they was nothing done at the state local levels besides people resigning or being fired from jobs. Both USC and UCLA had coaches who fell under this category, I thought one from the UCLA women's program staff resigned or something like that or where they both from USC?

 

[watfly]

I kinda get what you are saying but there is a lack of evidence.

I know a lot from personal experience that the Feds love to play a dirty little game called CONSPIRACY. I am shocked that Cromwell did not go down with JS on a conspiracy charge.

From my personal experience, when someone doesn’t go down it’s because they are a snitch/reliable source working for the government. I think it’s plausible that the initial snitch had limited information and Cromwell was the weak leak in the chain and when pressed she got diarrhea about the mouth.

It wouldn't surprise me if this was the case. It just doesn't past the smell test that she was left unscathed both by the authorities and the school. Maybe she made a convincing case for "plausible deniability".

 

[GoldenGate]

I kinda get what you are saying but there is a lack of evidence.

I know a lot from personal experience that the Feds love to play a dirty little game called CONSPIRACY. I am shocked that Cromwell did not go down with JS on a conspiracy charge.

From my personal experience, when someone doesn’t go down it’s because they are a snitch/reliable source working for the government. I think it’s plausible that the initial snitch had limited information and Cromwell was the weak leak in the chain and when pressed she got diarrhea about the mouth.

I like it. How about maybe she was a super secret assassin for the CIA under deep cover as a UCLA soccer coach, and we need her to keep her job for the sake of national security?

Or maybe UCLA is worried that firing her might violate due process and constitute bad PR by virtue of the fact that it secured the confession through waterboarding?

I know, she leveraged her great power as the SoCal youth mafia boss and used her capos, the SoCal DOCs, to leave a horse head at the foot of the UCLA chancellor's bed while he was sleeping?

FFS, all of these are more plausible than that the feds pressured UCLA to let her keep her job despite her criminal conspiring because she's a snitch. Singer was THE snitch and got prison time. The Isaksens were also snitches as part of their plea deal and also got prison time. What is your theory about why the Singers and the Isaksens got prison despite their snitching, while the great and powerful lesbian soccer coach of Westwood is the only person who manages to play the federal government, the state of California, and some of the richest people in America for fools, so that she's the only conspiratorial coach to walk away scot free not only without an indictment but with her job? ,The feds nailed more than 10 other college coaches with indictments despite their cooperation, plus every single person involved besides Cromwell? Perhaps she was the criminal mastermind behind the whole thing, and always one step ahead of the feds? Or maybe the feds and UCLA were worried that Cromwell would use her vast wealth and power to beat the rap and then bring the State of CA to its knees if they dared take action against her?

 

[MacDre]

I like it. How about maybe she was a super secret assassin for the CIA under deep cover as a UCLA soccer coach, and we need her to keep her job for the sake of national security?

Or maybe UCLA is worried that firing her might violate due process and constitute bad PR by virtue of the fact that it secured the confession through waterboarding?

I know, she leveraged her great power as the SoCal youth mafia boss and used her capos, the SoCal DOCs, to leave a horse head at the foot of the UCLA chancellor's bed while he was sleeping?

FFS, all of these are more plausible than that the feds pressured UCLA to let her keep her job despite her criminal conspiring because she's a snitch. Singer was THE snitch and got prison time. The Isaksens were also snitches as part of their plea deal and also got prison time. What is your theory about why the Singers and the Isaksens got prison despite their snitching, while the great and powerful lesbian soccer coach of Westwood is the only person who manages to play the federal government, the state of California, and some of the richest people in America for fools, so that she's the only conspiratorial coach to walk away scot free not only without an indictment but with her job? ,The feds nailed more than 10 other college coaches with indictments despite their cooperation, plus every single person involved besides Cromwell? Perhaps she was the criminal mastermind behind the whole thing, and always one step ahead of the feds? Or maybe the feds and UCLA were worried that Cromwell would use her vast wealth and power to beat the rap and then bring the State of CA to its knees if they dared take action against her?

Good stuff. I like it all. But, what are your thoughts as to why there was no conspiracy charge against Cromwell?

 

[GoldenGate]

Don't know if this is surprising or we've just become dull to this kind of graft going on?

Where are the check and balances for these "special" acceptances via college officials or through these back room deals?

Compliance people, committees, auditors or what? Do you just need a dean, coach, or committee approval to get admitted? . Regular students perhaps but athlete needs much more. Once there attending college that's a whole different ball game.

As far as this case, feds only interested in federal charges like conspiracy or bribery so they was nothing done at the state local levels besides people resigning or being fired from jobs. Both USC and UCLA had coaches who fell under this category, I thought one from the UCLA women's program staff resigned or something like that or where they both from USC?

Dull to this graft? WTF are you talking about? Every single person - other than Cromwell if you believe in conspiracy theories - was convicted and did time. The LA Times was all over this including in court to obtain all the emails and texts - which showed nothing bad about Cromwell btw. This board alone has 57 pages worth of babbling conspiracy theory nonsense. The truth is people still don't like graft, unless it's the one guy of course, and then it's great but not as great as grabbin' chicks by the pussy and screwing hookers while the wife is preggers.

The check and balance for the Varsity Blues fraud was prison, job loss, and getting raked over the coals pretty much every day by the press. Pretty much how it has always been and should be in a country that doesn't cut off hands for theft.

By the way, now is probably a good time to refresh everyone's memories about the nature of the crime, which was conspiracy to defraud the colleges. People seem to forget - or refuse to acknowledge - that the colleges were the victims. The idea that UCLA would continue to employ someone who screwed it for their own personal financial gain (and just because she turned snitch) is laughable. Do you remember that mega class action that was filed by "students" against all the schools as a result of this lawsuit and which got all that attention? Do you know what happened to it? The court dismissed it because it was absolute b.s., but nobody knows that or cares because all they care about is the b.s. which makes for much more fun conspiracy theories than the actual truth. Most of the people here are so stupid and self-pitying that they think they're the victim. The truth is their kid did not lose a spot to UCLA because of this, no one's did. The only victim at UCLA was UCLA.

 

[GoldenGate]

Good stuff. I like it all. But, what are your thoughts as to why there was no conspiracy charge against Cromwell?

Because she did not conspire. It's pretty simple.

 

[younothat]

Dull to this graft? WTF are you talking about? Every single person - other than Cromwell if you believe in conspiracy theories - was convicted and did time. The LA Times was all over this including in court to obtain all the emails and texts - which showed nothing bad about Cromwell btw. This board alone has 57 pages worth of babbling conspiracy theory nonsense. The truth is people still don't like graft, unless it's the one guy of course, and then it's great but not as great as grabbin' chicks by the pussy and screwing hookers while the wife is preggers.

The check and balance for the Varsity Blues fraud was prison, job loss, and getting raked over the coals pretty much every day by the press. Pretty much how it has always been and should be in a country that doesn't cut off hands for theft.

By the way, now is probably a good time to refresh everyone's memories about the nature of the crime, which was conspiracy to defraud the colleges. People seem to forget - or refuse to acknowledge - that the colleges were the victims. The idea that UCLA would continue to employ someone who screwed it for their own personal financial gain (and just because she turned snitch) is laughable. Do you remember that mega class action that was filed by "students" against all the schools as a result of this lawsuit and which got all that attention? Do you know what happened to it? The court dismissed it because it was absolute b.s., but nobody knows that or cares because all they care about is the b.s. which makes for much more fun conspiracy theories than the actual truth. Most of the people here are so stupid and self-pitying that they think they're the victim. The truth is their kid did not lose a spot to UCLA because of this, no one's did. The only victim at UCLA was UCLA.

This referring to ridley thomas and the USC dean like quoted in that post

The rest of the garbage you posted is in your head or something. Did you have blinkers on, is somebody riding you like a horses ass or something or just stuck in your own fantasy world?

L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and ex-USC dean indicted on bribery charges

A former USC dean is charged with paying off Mark Ridley-Thomas in exchange for millions of dollars in L.A. County contracts with the university.

www.latimes.com

 

[GoldenGate]

It wouldn't surprise me if this was the case. It just doesn't past the smell test that she was left unscathed both by the authorities and the school. Maybe she made a convincing case for "plausible deniability".

I've always said that if it weren't for Cromwell's snitching, the feds never would have learned about Singer ALTHOUGH SINGER HAD ALREADY PLED OUT AND IMPLICATED EVERYONE SIX MONTHS EARLIER.

I do also see how the feds might get Singer to implicate everyone, sign off on a plea deal and then, right before they spring the indictments on everyone, they decide they could use just a little more info on Salcedo, so they go to Cromwell and tell her that they'll let her off the hook for her crime if she rats out someone who they already have nailed based on both Singer's testimony and the financial transaction docs. I mean who cares that bringing her in might backfire and she might alert Salcedo and the Isaksens. I mean, we know Salcedo is the ring leader and easily the most important piece of the entire house of cards.

And so then UCLA tells Cromwell how appreciative they are that she defrauded the school but ratted everyone out under threat of criminal prosecution, that's just the type of person they want leading their young students into adulthood, so they go out and destroy all the emails and text messages before the LA Times can get their hands on them so she can keep coaching. Totally approved by UCLA's general counsel, the UC system's general counsel, and all the outside legal counsel, none of whom worries for a second that maybe letting a criminal who defrauded the school continue teaching students is a bad idea, especially given how important she is coaching a team that loses almost three times as much money as it makes.

 

[GoldenGate]

This referring to ridley thomas and the USC dean like quoted in that post

The rest of the garbage you posted is in your head or something. Did you have blinkers on, is somebody riding you like a horses ass or something or just stuck in your own fantasy world?

L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and ex-USC dean indicted on bribery charges

A former USC dean is charged with paying off Mark Ridley-Thomas in exchange for millions of dollars in L.A. County contracts with the university.

www.latimes.com

Uh, this is a thread about Varsity Blues and Cromwell conspiracy theories.

 

[lafalafa]

Uh, this is a thread about Varsity Blues and Cromwell conspiracy theories.

No it's about the college entry scams just like the title says.

Yale, USC, UCLA, etc. They all willing participated, accepted the students and keep them after for years at some places. Playing them as victim(s) might just be about the wildest conspiracy theory of them all.

 

[MacDre]

Because she did not conspire. It's pretty simple.

GTFOH! I have childhood friends and relatives that I will not give my phone number or save their number in my contacts because I’m scared of a conspiracy charge; yes, I know folks currently in club fed because they were connected by phone records.

I’m not as familiar with the facts here as you and lafalafa but I’ve seen several innocent folks go down on conspiracy charges and they are damn near impossible to defend against!! Cromwell talking to JS, team pictures, uniform, compliance review definitely enough for a least 10 years in club fed unless one is a snitch.

. https://www.bajokalaw.com/conspirac...ments-required-for-criminal-conspiracy-charge

 

[MacDre]

Because she did not conspire. It's pretty simple.

GTFOH! I have childhood friends and relatives that I will not give my phone number or save their number in my contacts because I’m scared of a conspiracy charge; yes, I know folks currently in club fed because they were connected by phone records.

I’m not as familiar with the facts here as you and lafalafa but I’ve seen several innocent folks go down on conspiracy charges and they are damn near impossible to defend against!! Cromwell talking to JS, team pictures, uniform, compliance review definitely enough for a least 10 years in club fed unless one is a snitch.

. https://www.bajokalaw.com/conspirac...ments-required-for-criminal-conspiracy-charge

 

[lafalafa]

Donna Heinel, ex-senior associate athletic director for USC, will plead guilty Friday to honest services wire fraud after allegedly arranging for more than 24 students to get into the college, Reuters reported.

USC official accused of taking bribes to plead guilty in ‘Varsity Blues’ scandal

Donna Heinel, ex-senior associate athletic director for USC, will plead guilty to honest services wire fraud after allegedly arranging for more than 24 students to get into the college.

nypost.com

The systematic problems apparently still exist and there are not enough check and balances. Of course there are more people involved who didn't take money but still willingly participated in the scams that are still around.

The Latest, Part I
Ridley-Thomas was arraigned Wednesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty. The 35-page indictment alleges that he worked with then-USC School of Social Work dean Marilyn Louise Flynn on a scheme to admit the councilman’s son, former state assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, into the graduate school and provide him with a scholarship and a paid professorship. The insinuation is that a soft landing was arranged after the younger Ridley-Thomas resigned his seat. In return, the elder Ridley-Thomas, then a member of the powerful County Board of Supervisors, allegedly steered millions of dollars in county contracts to the school.
A trial date has been set for December 14. Expect delays.

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/the-takeaways-from-mark-ridley-thomas-indictment-and-suspension/

 

[Carlsbad7]

24 students × $20,000 per bribe (which is likely low) = $480,000

And this is on top of his regular USC coaches salary. (Which is almost guaranteed to be over 100k)

Bribes or "Donations" if they go to the school are one in the same. However a small percentage of donations will likely make it back to the players, fields, or coaching programs.