Felicity Huffman said Monday in a statement she is pleading guilty after being charged in the college admissions scandal, saying she has “deep regret and shame” over what she has done.
The former “Desperate Housewives” star admitted she paid at least $15,000 to arrange for a proctor to change answers on her eldest daughter’s SAT.
“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office,” Huffman, 56, said in her statement.
“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.
“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman continued. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
Huffman, who appeared in a Boston court last Wednesday in connection with the scandal, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, according to the Department of Justice. A plea hearing has been scheduled for May 21 in Boston.
The maximum amount of time Huffman could spend in prison under her agreement is 10 months, per NBC News. It is likely she will serve only a few months in jail, if any time at all, based on the plea agreement filed in court.
The actress is one of 14 defendants who have agreed to plead guilty, the Department of Justice said. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, is not facing charges.
Dozens of parents were charged in the scheme, including “Fuller House” star Lori Loughlin. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as elite rowers, even though neither had ever participated in the sport.
The organizer of the scheme, William Rick Singer, pleaded guilty last month to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice.
