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Developer Robert Zangrillo Granted Full Pardon By Trump For Role In USC Admissions Scandal

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) - A Miami developer involved in the 2019 college admissions scandal was among the recipients of a pardon from former President Donald Trump.

Robert Zangrillo, who was accused of bribing employees from the University of Southern California's athletics department to secure his daughter's admission, was pardoned by Trump in one of his final acts in office.

The CEO of a private investment firm in Miami, Zangrillo was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Zangrillo is the sole defendant in the college admissions scandal to receive a "full pardon" from Trump.

He was arrested in March 2019 in a college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared TV stars, businesspeople and athletic coaches across the U.S.

More Parents In College Admissions Cheating Scandal Appear In Boston Courthouse
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 29: Robert Zangrillo, 52, center, departs the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on March 29, 2019. More defendants in the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal made their initial appearances in federal court in Boston on Friday to face charges stemming from the case that exploded into the headlines earlier this month. The suspects are among 50 defendants charged in the breathtaking scheme, in which wealthy parents allegedly cut fat checks to admitted ringleader William Rick Singer to have their children falsely certified as athletic recruits at fancy colleges, or to facilitate cheating on SAT and ACT exams. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors in Boston who brought the case, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, accused Zangrillo of paying $250,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a transfer in 2018.

The White House said in a statement explaining its decision that Zangrillo's daughter "did not have others take standardized tests for her and she is currently earning a 3.9 GPA" at USC. The White House described him as a "well-respected business leader and philanthropist."

A lawyer for Zangrillo and a USC spokesperson declined to comment.

(Copyright 2021 CBS Corp. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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