College Scandal Dad Who Paid $300,000 Gets Home Confinement

(Bloomberg) -- A California technology executive who admitted paying $300,000 to get his son into Georgetown University was ordered to spend a year in home confinement after prosecutors said he was less culpable than other parents in the U.S. college admissions scandal and needed to care for family members with medical conditions.

Peter Dameris, the former chief executive officer of information technology company ASGN Inc., also must pay a $95,000 fine for conspiracy to commit fraud. It is among the most lenient sentences in the sprawling case, which have ranged from probation for a packaged-food entrepreneur who quickly acknowledged his guilt to nine months for former Pimco chief Douglas Hodge.

Dameris is one of 42 people, including more than two dozen parents, who have admitted guilt in the case. The scheme was orchestrated by corrupt admissions consultant Rick Singer, who cooperated with the government against his clients and admitted to racketeering. Singer funneled bribes to athletic coaches to put the applicants' names on their recruiting lists.

Appearing before a federal judge by videoconference on Monday, Dameris, 60, wept as he expressed remorse both for his crime and for “tarnishing” his son's real achievements. His son didn't know about the bribe and was allowed to graduate following an internal investigation by the university.

‘Unfair Advantage'

“I was wrong to make a donation to Georgetown's athletic department, since I anticipated the donation would lead to an unfair advantage,” said Dameris, who was the 25th parent to agree to plead guilty. “I let my insecurities and desire to protect my son trump my moral judgment.”

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston said Dameris had otherwise lived “a good life” and was reaping the reward through the lenient sentence.

“I really feel for your family and understand your anguish,” the judge said.

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Federal prosecutors had recommended Dameris, of Pacific Palisades, serve 21 months in home confinement. The U.S. noted that Dameris immediately accepted responsibility for the bribe when confronted and called him less culpable because he didn't know Singer had falsely portrayed his son as a star tennis player.

Prosecutors also told the court they had no proof that Dameris knew Singer was funneling bribes directly to former tennis coach Gordon Ernst. Ernst has pleaded not guilty to taking millions of dollars through the scheme. None of the students or schools in the case, from the University of Southern California to Georgetown to Yale, have been charged.

The case is U.S. v. Dameris, 20-cr-10099, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).

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