Adam B. Wheeler
Adam B. Wheeler (born c. 1986–1987) is an American convicted fraudster who gained national attention in 2010 for fabricating his academic credentials to gain admission to Harvard University as a transfer student in 2007. Wheeler forged transcripts, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation, and subsequently defrauded the university of more than $45,000 in financial aid, grants, and prizes before being discovered in 2009. He pleaded guilty to 20 felony and misdemeanor charges in December 2010 and was sentenced to ten years of probation. After violating his probation in 2011, he was sentenced to serve the remainder of his suspended jail term.
Background
Wheeler grew up in Milton, Delaware, where he attended Caesar Rodney High School, a public school.[1] He enrolled at Bowdoin College in Maine but was suspended during his sophomore year for plagiarizing essays in one of his classes.[2] Rather than accept the suspension, Wheeler applied to transfer to Harvard.[2]
Fraud at Harvard
Falsified application
In 2007, Wheeler submitted a transfer application to Harvard containing numerous fabrications.[3] He claimed to have graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover and to have completed his freshman year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a perfect academic record.[1] His application materials included forged transcripts from both institutions, a falsified SAT score report claiming a perfect 1600, and claims that he had received scores of 5 on 16 Advanced Placement exams.[4]
Wheeler also submitted forged letters of recommendation that he attributed to MIT professors, though the names he used were actually those of Bowdoin faculty members who stated they had not written the letters and did not know Wheeler.[4]
Time at Harvard
Wheeler was admitted as a transfer student and placed in Kirkland House as a sophomore, concentrating in English.[4] During his time at Harvard, he continued to submit plagiarized work. As a junior, he received the Hoopes Prize for a research project, as well as the Sargent Prize for the best essay on a Shakespearean subject and a Rockefeller research grant for summer study at Oxford—all based on plagiarized material.[1][5] In total, Wheeler defrauded the university of more than $45,000 in financial aid, grants, and prizes.[6]
Discovery
Wheeler's fraud was uncovered in September 2009 during his senior year, when he applied for Harvard's endorsement for the Rhodes Scholarship and Fulbright Scholarship.[4] A professor reviewing his application recognized that Wheeler's essay had been plagiarized from the published work of a colleague.[7] University officials subsequently conducted a full review of Wheeler's academic file, discovering that none of his claimed credentials were genuine.[4] Wheeler chose not to attend his disciplinary hearing and returned to his family home in Delaware.[4]
Subsequent fraud and arrest
After leaving Harvard, Wheeler continued attempting to gain admission to other universities using fraudulent applications. He applied to Yale, Brown, Stanford University, and the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College, again submitting falsified documents.[1] He also applied for an internship at McLean Hospital using fake recommendations, including one falsely attributed to David A. Smith, the Kirkland House resident dean who had originally informed Wheeler of the plagiarism accusation.[2] Wheeler was accepted by Stanford before his parents, who received a telephone call from the Yale admissions office, confronted him and learned the truth about his expulsion from Harvard.[2]
Wheeler was indicted in May 2010 on 20 counts of larceny, identity fraud, falsifying an endorsement or approval, and pretending to hold a degree.[4] He initially pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court.[3]
Conviction and sentencing
On December 16, 2010, Wheeler pleaded guilty to all 20 counts.[1] Associate Justice Diane M. Kottmyer sentenced him to ten years of probation, noting that the lengthy term was necessary given what she described as Wheeler's "compulsive" behavior and "lack of moral compass."[1] Wheeler was ordered to pay restitution of $45,806 to Harvard University, continue psychological treatment, and was prohibited from representing himself as a Harvard student or graduate.[1] A condition of his probation also barred him from profiting from his crimes, such as by writing a book about the case.[1]
Assistant District Attorney John Verner argued that Wheeler's fraud harmed not only Harvard but also the unknown students who might have received the admission spot and accolades that Wheeler fraudulently obtained.[1]
Probation violation
In November 2011, Wheeler was arrested for violating his probation after admitting that he had listed Harvard University on his résumé while applying for jobs.[8] His attorney stated that Wheeler had lost a job and was under financial pressure to support himself and pay court-ordered restitution.[8] Wheeler was held without bail and subsequently ordered to serve the remainder of his original suspended sentence of approximately two years and five months.[8][9]
Legacy
Wheeler's case prompted Harvard to review and strengthen its admissions verification procedures.[3] The case also received attention as an example of broader concerns about student fraud in competitive college admissions, with experts noting that the increasing emphasis on subjective and difficult-to-verify criteria in holistic admissions reviews created vulnerabilities that applicants could exploit.[3]
The case was referenced on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment in December 2010.[10] Frank Abagnale, the subject of Catch Me If You Can, compared Wheeler's fraud to his own exploits, noting that technology had made document forgery far easier than in his era.[11]
In media
- Conning Harvard: Adam Wheeler, the Con Artist Who Faked His Way into the Ivy League (2012), a book by Julie Zauzmer and Xi Yu, both journalists at The Harvard Crimson who covered the case.[5][7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Yu, Xi; Zauzmer, Julie M. (December 16, 2010). "Harvard Faker Adam Wheeler Pleads Guilty to 20 Counts". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Yu, Xi; Zauzmer, Julie M. (May 18, 2010). "Ex-Harvard Student, Adam Wheeler, Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of Fabricating Academic History". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher (May 19, 2010). "Harvard hoax: Adam Wheeler case points to rise of student fraud". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Yu, Xi; Zauzmer, Julie M. (May 17, 2010). "Former Harvard Student Indicted For Falsified Applications, Identity Fraud". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "A true story about an undergrad who bluffed his way into Harvard". Maclean's. November 30, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Man Charged With Faking His Way Into Harvard". NPR. May 18, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "His college career was a con". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 14, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Harvard wannabe tries again, lies again, puts school on resume". CBS News. November 11, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Adam Wheeler Went to Harvard". The Baffler. May 1, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Saturday Night Live Jokes About Wheeler, Harvard". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Conning Harvard: Adam Wheeler, The Con Artist Who Faked His Way Into The Ivy League". Amazon. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
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