Four months in jail

Water/wastewater staffing company exec is latest to pay price for college admissions scandal

Devin Sloane, who began his career installing sewer mains but eventually created and invested in multiple water-based businesses, was the latest parent to be sentenced to jail time for his role in the Rick Singer college admissions scandal.

Sloane is the founder of AquaTecture, a private company in the business of “pursuing legacy projects and business opportunities.” One such project, waterTALENT, provides staff for water and wastewater treatment facilities and is well known to many in the wastewater/water industry. The company exhibited at WEFTEC this week.

Ironically, Sloane’s missteps in the college conspiracy included a water-relevant error: A photo he submitted on behalf of his son’s application to the University of Southern California was meant to portray the boy as a water polo athlete. He had his son pose in a swimming pool, later doctoring the photo to adjust the boy’s height above the water. The photo became an internet meme of sorts, mocked for its poor photoshopping and the height change, which was widely considered to be unrealistic.

The charges weren’t a joke, however: It was reported that Sloane choked back sobs in the courtroom as he learned that his guilty plea of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud resulted in a four month jail sentence, 500 hours of community service over two years of supervised release and a $95,000 fine.