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David Sidoo loses Order of B.C. award after guilty plea in U.S. college admission scandal

This marks the first time the award has been taken away from someone
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David Sidoo, of Vancouver leaves following his federal court hearing Friday, March 15, 2019, in Boston. Sidoo pleaded not guilty to charges as part of a wide-ranging college admissions bribery scandal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via AP)

David Sidoo, a prominent businessman has lost his Order of B.C. award after pleading guilty to charges related to the U.S. college admissions scandal.

Sidoo was praised for his philanthropy in 2016 with the award, which is for people who “have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the province or elsewhere.”

This marks the first time the award has been taken away from someone. Sidoo will have to return the insignia that was presented to him four years ago.

The father of two pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on March 13, sparking the advisory council for the award to recommend the order membership be terminated.

He was accused of agreeing to pay $100,000 to have a co-conspirator, Mark Riddell, secretly take the SAT in place of his older son. The following year, it’s alleged he agreed to pay $100,000 to have Riddell take the SAT in place of his younger son.

Sidoo has not yet been sentenced, but court documents show that lawyers representing the B.C. business man and U.S. prosecutors agreed to 90 days behind bars followed by 12 months of supervised release. The deal also entails a fine of US$250,000.

Since pleading guilty, Sidoo has stepped down from his role as president and CEO of two national energy companies, and has asked for his name to be removed from the UBC football stadium, where he played football and went on to financially support the program.

ALSO READ: Accused test-taker pleads guilty in college bribery scandal involving B.C. businessman

Another B.C. parent – Xiaoning Sui – was also caught in the large-scale bribery scheme investigation.

Sui, 49, of Surrey, was sentenced to time served after admitting to paying $400,000 to get her son into the University of California, Los Angeles, as a fake soccer recruit.

In her case, she was sentenced to time served.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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