Two wealthy parents convicted in first trial over US college admissions scandal

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BOSTON, Oct. 8 (Reuters) – Two wealthy fathers who were the first to stand trial in the U.S. college admissions scandal were found guilty on Friday of corrupt attempts to buy their children’s places in universities elite as fake sports recruits.

A federal jury in Boston has found former casino manager Gamal Aziz and founder of private equity firm John Wilson guilty of all charges they face regarding paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure seats in admission for their children.

The verdict follows 10½ hours of jury deliberation and four weeks of trial in a case that exposed inequalities in higher education and the efforts wealthy parents would make to secure places for their children in the best places. schools.

The two are among 57 people charged with a scheme in which wealthy parents conspired with California college admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer to fraudulently secure college placements for their children.

Singer pleaded guilty in 2019 to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and funneling money from parents to corrupt coaches and athletics officials to secure admission of their children as bogus athletes.

Aziz, a former executive at Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) also known as Gamal Abdelaziz, and Wilson, who founded Hyannis Port Capital, were left unmoved when the verdict was read aloud.

They were both convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and electronic fraud and of conspiracy to bribe federal programs. Wilson was also convicted of six other counts of fraud, corruption and taxation.

They risk years in prison when sentenced in February, although the longest sentence a parent has received in the scandal to date was nine months.

Both men should appeal. Their lawyers claimed they too were swindled by Singer, who they said kept them up to date on the mechanics of his scheme and tricked them into believing their money was being used for college donations, not jars. -of-wine. Read more

“Obviously that’s not the outcome he was looking for, but it’s our system, and that’s why they have appeal courts,” said Brian Kelly, Aziz’s lawyer. “So that’s what we’re going to do next.”

“NO MATTER” WHAT SPORT

The trial was based largely on tapes investigators secretly obtained from both parents with Singer, who became the primary cooperating witness in the “Operation Varsity Blues” investigation. Prosecutors did not call Singer to testify, instead relying on his taped calls with the parents.

The investigation trapped executives and celebrities, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who were among the 47 defendants who agreed to plead guilty. read more Former President Donald Trump pardoned a relative.

Prosecutors alleged that Aziz, 62, agreed in 2018 to pay $ 300,000 to secure her daughter’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a basketball rookie.

Prosecutors said Wilson, 64, paid $ 220,000 in 2014 for his son to falsely name a USC water polo rookie.

They said he then paid an additional $ 1million to attempt to fraudulently secure places for his two daughters at Stanford and Harvard universities, an arrangement Singer had in part discussed with Wilson on taped calls. while cooperating with investigators.

In an appeal that prosecutors played for the jury, Singer told Wilson that “it doesn’t matter” what sport they are associated with and that he “would make him a sailor or something.”

Wilson laughed and replied, “Is there a two-for-one special? If you have twins?”

In the cases of both parents, prosecutors said Singer and others working with him created athletic profiles used in the admissions process that included fabricated information about their children.

Laura Janke, a former USC football coach who admitted to receiving bribes from Singer, said he paid her later after she left school to create a profile for Aziz’s daughter who falsified her height, position in the team, and accolades.

Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston Editing by Bill Berkrot

Nate raymond

Nate Raymond reports to the federal judiciary and litigation. He can be reached at [email protected].

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