Who Is Stephen Semprevivo? Parent Who Paid $400,000 for Son to Go to Georgetown to Be Sentenced in College Admission Scandal

Stephen Semprevivo, a California businessman, will be the third parent involved in the college admission scandal to learn his fate.

Semprevivo pleaded guilty to paying $400,000 so former Georgetown University Tennis Coach Gordon Ernst would indicate his son was a tennis recruit despite the fact that he did not play the sport competitively. On Thursday, Judge Indira Talwani will sentence Semprevivo, who paid one of the highest bribes out of those indicted.

Actor Felicity Huffman, who pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to increase her daughter's SAT score, was the first parent to face the judge. Talwani sentenced her on September 13 to 14 days in prison, a year of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a fine of $30,000.

Following Huffman, who paid the least amount of any parent charged, was Devin Sloane. Sloane admitted to paying $250,000 to have his son fraudulently recruited to the University of Southern California as a water polo player.

Sloane's sentence, handed down on Tuesday, was heavier than Huffman's. Talwani issued a sentence of four months in prison, two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service and a fine of $95,000.

Before Semprevivo made headlines for his involvement in the college admission scandal, an operation formally dubbed "Varsity Blues," he was the chief strategy and growth officer at Cydcor, Inc, an outsourced sales services company. He previously worked at Machinima.com, an online entertainment network, and Experian Interactive Media, according to Bloomberg.

Semprevivo attended Harvard University for both his undergraduate and graduate degree studies, where he earned a Masters in Business Administration.

Along with his son, Adam, who was expelled from Georgetown following news of his fraudulent admission, Semprevivo has another son, Jordan, with his wife, Rita.

Jordan, according to the court documents, has had a number of physical problems, which began during his sophomore year of high school. Among them were inflammation of his limbs, a limited range of motion and painful stomach ulcers.

When Jordan's weight dropped to around 100 pounds, his parents took him to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Dr. Sheila Balkan, a criminologist, claimed Semprevivo's constant presence spurred a recovery. Jordan was ultimately diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain syndrome, according to court documents.

"Losing his father to incarceration would negatively impact his recovery," the court document claimed.

Ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors claimed in court documents that Semprevivo tried to shift blame from himself and showed little remorse. Therefore, prosecutors argued that prison was the "only appropriate sentence." They recommended 13 months in prison, a fine of $95,000, 12 months of supervised release and restitution of at least $105,341.

The defense, however, argued in court documents that Semprevivo showed "great remorse" for his actions and had experiences in his childhood that affected his decision making.

"He realized that taking a short cut outside the normal admissions process was wrong and illegal, and his own failure to act was wrong," the document said. "He was and remains deeply remorseful that he acted against his own character and has diminished himself by surrendering his integrity."

The court, therefore, should impose a sentence that was sufficient but "not greater than necessary." In the defense's opinion, that would be either probation or if jail time was necessary, between zero and six months.

By imposing limited jail time or probation, the defense argued that Semprevivo could remain the "financial and emotional bedrock of his family," including to his extended family.