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Agustin HUNEEUS Jr. will be sentenced today.
Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 15 months in prison and a $95,000 fine. His lawyers say he deserves two months and a fine.
Huneeus has said he’s ashamed and sees that his actions represent "the worst sort of entitlement."
In letter to judge, Napa Valley vintner in college admissions scheme writes of 'shame,' asks for leniency
Bay Area Parent to Be Sentenced in Admissions Case
Prosecutors alleged Huneeus worked with a key figure in the scheme, in which the wine executive agreed to pay $50,000 to a corrupt test proctor to allow his daughter to cheat on her SAT exam. He also agreed to pay $250,000 to help her gain admission at the University of Southern California as a water polo recruit on scholarship, even though she wasn’t qualified to play at the collegiate level. His daughter, a former student at Marin Academy, received conditional acceptance from USC on Nov. 7, 2018, but never was admitted to the university. He actually paid $100,000 before the admissions scheme unraveled.
Prosecutors contended that Huneeus’ actions went beyond the others in the bribery scheme, especially because he was involved in the SAT exam cheating, as well as the admissions bribery over a full two-year period.
After his arrest in March, Huneeus stepped down as owner and operator of Napa-based Huneeus Vintners, which owns the Quintessa brand, and Flowers Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg. He relinquished control to his 86-year-old father, Agustin C. Huneeus, who had retired from the wine empire that he created as a Chilean immigrant who previously had operated global wine brands. In July, Nick Withers, a veteran of Constellation Brands Inc., was hired as president of Huneeus Vintners. The younger Huneeus gave up control of the family business because his arrest placed the company’s license to produce and sell wine in jeopardy. He’s been free on $1 million bail since the arrest.
In the court filing Friday that included Huneeus’ personal letter, his lawyers included 39 additional letters to the judge written by family, friends and business associates vouching for his character. The attorneys wrote that Huneeus is a family man who raised four daughters with his wife, Maca, and he is taking responsibility for his actions that are “wholly out of step with the person he has been and continues to be.”
In his letter, Huneeus wrote, “During the past months I have daydreamed about giving up and moving to a different place so I don’t have to confront the shame I feel when I run into someone I know here. But for the sake of my daughters and my wonderful and supporting wife I know I have to come back from this.”
In her letter to the judge, Maca Huneeus urged Talwani to “make this case constructive and just not about bringing a man lower when he’s already been brought down to his lowest.”
“This is an enormous personal loss, of course not only of livelihood, but also of the involvement in the only industry he has really ever known,” his lawyers wrote.
The attorneys acknowledged there “may be opportunities” for Huneeus to reapply for a winery license in the future, but the earliest time frame would be five years.
Meanwhile, prosecutors alleged Huneeus repeatedly lied to Marin Academy’s school counselors regarding when his daughter could take the SAT, so he could make sure she took the exam in Los Angeles at a testing site controlled by the mastermind of the admissions scheme, William “Rick” Singer.
After he wasn’t satisfied with his daughter’s score on the SAT, Huneeus discussed with Singer whether it was possible to cheat on the SAT and the ACT test, a separate college exam, prosecutors alleged.
Huneeus was determined for his daughter to get accepted to USC with a water polo scholarship even though he conceded in a phone call with Singer that she “was not worthy to be on that team,” prosecutors alleged.
As the scheme developed, Huneeus dragged his daughter into it, instructing her to maintain a “keep-your-trap-shut mentality,” about the matter during an Oct. 8, 2018, meeting with Singer.
Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 15 months in prison and a $95,000 fine. His lawyers say he deserves two months and a fine.
Huneeus has said he’s ashamed and sees that his actions represent "the worst sort of entitlement."
In letter to judge, Napa Valley vintner in college admissions scheme writes of 'shame,' asks for leniency
Bay Area Parent to Be Sentenced in Admissions Case
Prosecutors alleged Huneeus worked with a key figure in the scheme, in which the wine executive agreed to pay $50,000 to a corrupt test proctor to allow his daughter to cheat on her SAT exam. He also agreed to pay $250,000 to help her gain admission at the University of Southern California as a water polo recruit on scholarship, even though she wasn’t qualified to play at the collegiate level. His daughter, a former student at Marin Academy, received conditional acceptance from USC on Nov. 7, 2018, but never was admitted to the university. He actually paid $100,000 before the admissions scheme unraveled.
Prosecutors contended that Huneeus’ actions went beyond the others in the bribery scheme, especially because he was involved in the SAT exam cheating, as well as the admissions bribery over a full two-year period.
After his arrest in March, Huneeus stepped down as owner and operator of Napa-based Huneeus Vintners, which owns the Quintessa brand, and Flowers Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg. He relinquished control to his 86-year-old father, Agustin C. Huneeus, who had retired from the wine empire that he created as a Chilean immigrant who previously had operated global wine brands. In July, Nick Withers, a veteran of Constellation Brands Inc., was hired as president of Huneeus Vintners. The younger Huneeus gave up control of the family business because his arrest placed the company’s license to produce and sell wine in jeopardy. He’s been free on $1 million bail since the arrest.
In the court filing Friday that included Huneeus’ personal letter, his lawyers included 39 additional letters to the judge written by family, friends and business associates vouching for his character. The attorneys wrote that Huneeus is a family man who raised four daughters with his wife, Maca, and he is taking responsibility for his actions that are “wholly out of step with the person he has been and continues to be.”
In his letter, Huneeus wrote, “During the past months I have daydreamed about giving up and moving to a different place so I don’t have to confront the shame I feel when I run into someone I know here. But for the sake of my daughters and my wonderful and supporting wife I know I have to come back from this.”
In her letter to the judge, Maca Huneeus urged Talwani to “make this case constructive and just not about bringing a man lower when he’s already been brought down to his lowest.”
“This is an enormous personal loss, of course not only of livelihood, but also of the involvement in the only industry he has really ever known,” his lawyers wrote.
The attorneys acknowledged there “may be opportunities” for Huneeus to reapply for a winery license in the future, but the earliest time frame would be five years.
Meanwhile, prosecutors alleged Huneeus repeatedly lied to Marin Academy’s school counselors regarding when his daughter could take the SAT, so he could make sure she took the exam in Los Angeles at a testing site controlled by the mastermind of the admissions scheme, William “Rick” Singer.
After he wasn’t satisfied with his daughter’s score on the SAT, Huneeus discussed with Singer whether it was possible to cheat on the SAT and the ACT test, a separate college exam, prosecutors alleged.
Huneeus was determined for his daughter to get accepted to USC with a water polo scholarship even though he conceded in a phone call with Singer that she “was not worthy to be on that team,” prosecutors alleged.
As the scheme developed, Huneeus dragged his daughter into it, instructing her to maintain a “keep-your-trap-shut mentality,” about the matter during an Oct. 8, 2018, meeting with Singer.
