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Parenting book author Jane Buckingham sentenced to 3 weeks in college cheating scandal

She wrote a book on parenthood. Now she’ll go to prison for cheating on her son’s ACT exam.
/ Source: AP (Associated Press)

A California marketing executive and author has been sentenced to three weeks in prison for paying $50,000 to cheat on her son's college entrance exam.

Jane Buckingham was sentenced in Boston's federal court Wednesday after pleading guilty to a single count of fraud and conspiracy. She is the 11th parent to be sentenced in a college admissions bribery scheme involving dozens of wealthy parents.

The 51-year-old Los Angeles resident admitted to paying $50,000 to have a test proctor take the ACT exam for her son in 2018. She gave her son a practice test at home so he would think he took the real test.

Image: Jane Buckingham walks in to the federal courthouse for her sentencing hearing in Boston
Jane Buckingham walks in to the federal courthouse for her sentencing hearing in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 23, 2019.BRIAN SNYDER / Reuters

Prosecutors had requested six months in prison.

Buckingham is CEO of the marketing firm Trendera. She has apologized and says she has "absolutely no excuse."

She is the author of several books, including “The Modern Girl’s Guide to Motherhood” and “The Modern Girl’s Guide to Sticky Situations.”