Abdelaziz, a former Wynn Resorts executive, is accused of paying Singer $300,000 in 2018 to have his daughter admitted to USC as a fake basketball recruit, even though she didn't make her high . Former casino exec gets record year in prison in U.S. college scandal The verdict followed 10-1/2 hours of jury deliberations and four weeks of trial in a case that exposed inequalities in higher education and the lengths wealthy parents would go to secure spots for their children at top schools. Gamal Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, is accused of paying $300,000 to get his daughter admitted to the U.S.C. None of these kids were getting recruited to play collegiate sports without the money.. Ex-Casino Executive Gets 1 Year and 1 Day in Prison in College Admissions Scheme, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/09/us/varsity-blues-sentence-gamal-abdelaziz.html. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. The trial hinged in large part on recordings investigators secretly obtained of the two parents with Singer, who became the chief cooperating witness in the "Operation Varsity Blues" investigation. [5], He held senior executive positions at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel in New York City, the Westin Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the St. Francis in San Francisco. In one call with Singer, Wilson asked which sports "would be best" for his twin daughters. so just a few months ago. By paying $300,000 to have her depicted as a top Trojans basketball recruit, the hotel and casino executive boosted her admissions chances from uncertain to near guaranteed. Legal Analyst and Senior Sports Legal Reporter. ), Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. The defense lawyers portrayed the men as the victims of William Singer, known as Rick, who they say presented himself as a gifted admissions . (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File), LORI LOUGHLIN SPOTTED LOOKING LIKE HERSELF AGAIN FOLLOWING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL. Laura Janke, a former USC soccer coach who has admitted taking bribes from Singer, testified that he later paid her after she left the school to create a profile for Aziz's daughter that falsified her height, team position and accolades. (This article was updated in the second paragraph to clarify the FBI surveillance in the case. Aziz confirmed that he would provide the same story if questioned. US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton, who is presiding over the case, emphasized at a recent hearing that USC is not on trial.. Did Sabrina try out for the varsity team? Frank asked. When asked about other things on Sabrina Abdelazizs athletic profile, she also said, Its untrue that she was starting point guard or varsity captain.. In September 2018, Mr. Abdelazizs daughter enrolled at U.S.C., but she did not join the basketball team, prosecutors said. or redistributed. Former President Donald Trump pardoned one parent. CW-1: But, yeah, it was great. First Case to Go to Trial in College Admissions Scandal Ends With Weeks after her daughter's wedding party, the family planning expert discovers that she is pregnant while her daughter carries the bride Salwa despite the age of 40, and her young son Ahmed, who fears that she will have a child, will ridicule her of conscription. Mr. Abdelazizs lawyers had asked for a sentence of four months, saying he should be treated similarly to other parents in the case, whose sentences have ranged from home confinement to nine months in prison. They wrote that public confidence in the criminal justice system would be undermined if the court sentenced the only defendant to go to trial to substantially more imprisonment than any of his 30 co-defendants, almost all of whom engaged in conduct more culpable than Mr. Abdelaziz.. Several current and former U.S.C. Gamal Abdelaziz paid the bribe to secure his daughter's admission to the University of Southern California as a "basketball recruit." His daughter had not played basketball in more than a . It was really well done and going forward, anybody who isnt a real basketball player thats a female, I want you to use that profile going forward.. One problem: The daughter hadnt made her high school varsity team. Former Wake Forest University volleyball coach William Ferguson could avoid prosecution in the college admissions bribery scam if he pays a $50,000 fine and follow conditions outlined by federal . Gamal Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, and John Wilson, a former Staples Inc. executive, were found guilty after about 10 hours of deliberations in the case that exposed a scheme to get . Judge Nathaniel Gorton will sentence Abdelaziz in February. Aziz was born in Egypt, grew up in Cairo, Egypt, and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. White House: Unacceptable for states to target access to federally approved abortion pills, LabMD loses lawsuit accusing FTC of conspiring in hacking, Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston Two Parents Are the First to Face Trial in College Admissions Scandal, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/education/admissions-scandal-usc-parents.html. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! . "It's obviously not the result he was looking for, but that's our system, and that's why they have appellate courts," said Brian Kelly, Aziz's lawyer. In December, the final parent in the bombshell Varsity Blues college admissions cheating scandal agreed to plead guilty. In this context, colleges are the victims. The son withdrew from the team after one semester. On the fourth day of testimony in the trial of former casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and another parent, Rachel Sih was shown her high school yearbook, which included the same photo of a girl. Others such as Ms. Huffman and Ms. Loughlin chose to plead guilty rather than take their chances before a jury. [27] He was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service, and pay a fine of $250,000.[28]. The case now will head to jurors more than two years afterFBI agents arrested dozens of well-known parents, athletic coaches and others across the countryin the scheme involving rigged test scores and bogus athletic credentials. At issue are the parents conduct, U.S.C.s admissions practices and possibly the fairness of the college admissions process itself. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [2][6][12] In that position he helped finalize 27 hotel projects in leisure markets around the world. Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Wilson similarly worked withSinger beginning in 2013 to get his son into USC as a water-polo recruit, even though the dad worried that his boy would be a clear misfit at practice, court documents allege. The former casino executive was convicted in October following a four-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and honest services mail fraud and wire fraud; and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. The jury will weigh claims that two defendants in the sprawling case, Gamal Abdelaziz and John B. Wilson, paid exorbitant sums to win their kids admission to the school as fake recruits through an . Singer responded that it "doesnt matter" and that he would "make them a sailor or something" because Wilson lives on Cape Cod. Singer has admitted toworking with parentsand others to rig rich kids college-entrance test scores and bribe coaches at schools such as USC and Yale University as part of the scheme. [13][2][14] He next became president of Wynn Macau, Ltd., reporting directly to Wynn. Their lawyers contended they too were conned by Singer, who they said kept them in the dark about his scheme's mechanics and led them to believe their money was being used for university donations, not bribes. Heres what we know, Governors declaration allows Los Angeles County to get reimbursed, Desperate Crestline residents help one another while awaiting assistance from San Bernardino County, Ex-sheriffs deputy gets 100 hours of community service for shooting hoax, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. Prosecutors alleged that Aziz - a former Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) executive also known as Gamal Abdelaziz - in 2018 paid $300,000 to secure his daughter's admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a basketball recruit. By MELISSA CHEN. Absolutely great. Unfortunately for the 64-year-old Egyptian native, a jury convicted him of two charges that carry maximum sentences of 20 years and five years, respectively. 1 Catholic Memorial; roundup/list of scores, In day four of Varsity Blues trial, student testifies almost everything in defendants daughters profile is untrue, Rachael Rollins to co-lead delegation of US attorneys to Selma in recognition of Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Bloody Sunday, Boston drug trafficker set to do 11 years in prison, give up Louis Vuitton bags, feds say, Murdaughs fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder, At New Mexico St, a meltdown that runs beyond basketball, 'Significant burst' of heavy snow possible for areas of Massachusetts, up to 12 inches potential in spots, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, Boston employee payroll data shows more big-money employees than ever. Wilsons lawyer told jurors that they may think Wilson was "nave" or "even foolish" to believe Singer when the admissions consultant told him that the the schools endorsed his so-called "side-door" business. [22][23][24], On September 8, 2021, Aziz's criminal trial officially began, with jury selection commencing in a Boston federal court. Man sentenced to one year in federal prison over college - UPI She would have a better chance, Mr. Singer said he told Mr. Abdelaziz, as a recruited athlete. Abdelaziz and Wilson can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Another co-conspirator who worked in the USC athletic department then used that fake profile to secure the admission of Abdelaziz daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. [4] In October 2021, he was found guilty, and in February 2022 he was sentenced to serve one year and one day in federal prison. Sportico is a part of Penske Media Corporation. More than three dozen parents in the college admissions scam case either pleaded guilty or were convicted following trial. Thanks for contacting us. Two wealthy dads convicted in first U.S. college admissions scandal trial Part of the trial will hinge on the question of whether Mr. Abdelaziz and Mr. Wilson believed that U.S.C. Abdelaziz later wired $300,000 to Singers sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, in exchange for the fraudulent admission. Prosecutors have alleged that Abdelaziz paid $300,000 to Singer in 2017 to get his daughter, who didnt qualify for her high school varsity basketball team, into USC as a basketball recruit. Gamal Abdelaziz, 65, of Las Vegas, stood solemnly in federal court in Boston as a judge told him "it boggles the mind" that he worked so hard to pursue his own education yet committed a crime . Two wealthy parents who are the first to stand trial in the college admissions bribery scandal used lies and money to steal coveted spots at prestigious schools their kids couldnt secure on their own, a prosecutor said Wednesday before jurors decide if the men are guilty. Hilal Kaplan on LinkedIn: Dear Connections, As most of you know, we