Actor Felicity Huffman and 12 other parents on Monday agreed to plead guilty to paying bribes to get their children into prestigious colleges. Huffman, who starred in the television show Desperate Housewives, admitted that she paid $15,000 to a fake charity associated with the mastermind, Rick Singer, to facilitate cheating for her daughter in the SAT entrance examinations, AFP reported

Huffman faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. However, United States federal prosecutors are likely to recommend just 12 months in jail and a fine of $20,000, CNN reported.

“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” Huffman said in a statement. “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologise to them and, especially, I want to apologise to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices.”

Huffman also said that her daughter had no knowledge of her fraud. “In my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her,” she said.

As many as 50 people were charged in the scam, including 33 parents, two SAT administrators, one exam proctor, nine coaches at elite US schools and one college administrator. Federal prosecutors said this is the biggest fraud of its kind ever. Actor Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, a fashion designer, have also been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Singer, who pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering, money laundering and obstruction of justice, was paid up to $6.5 million by parents to get their children into elite universities.