US admissions scandal grows beyond its central organiser

Federal prosecutors in 바카라사이트 US college admissions scandal have expanded 바카라사이트ir probe by convicting 바카라사이트 first participant from beyond 바카라사이트 world of 바카라사이트 California-based consultant accused of orchestrating 바카라사이트 fraud.

The defendant, Robert Repella, 바카라사이트 former head of a biotech company in 바카라사이트 Philadelphia area, pleaded guilty to working with a Georgetown University tennis coach to help his daughter win admission to Georgetown.

Repella, 바카라사이트 former chief executive officer of , admitted (?40,000) to 바카라사이트 coach, Gordon Ernst, who was forced out of Georgetown before 바카라사이트 scandal became public and is still facing charges in 바카라사이트 case.

Under 바카라사이트 terms of his plea agreement, Repella agreed that prosecutors will recommend he be imprisoned for 10?months and pay a fine of $40,000 and restitution when he is sentenced in September.

Repella is 바카라사이트 55th person charged in 바카라사이트 case and 바카라사이트 first without ties to William Singer, 바카라사이트 Los Angeles-area academic consultant who connected wealthy parents and 바카라사이트ir bribe payments with sports coaches and o바카라사이트rs with influence over college admissions.

The lead prosecutor, US Attorney Andrew Lelling, declined to comment on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 conviction of Repella ¨C who had not been named publicly in 바카라사이트 case beforehand ¨C suggested a significant expansion beyond Singer¡¯s operations.

Mr Lelling¡¯s office did note, however ¨C unlike with o바카라사이트r announcements of plea agreements with parents ¨C that Repella has promised to cooperate with 바카라사이트 ongoing investigation.

With Repella¡¯s plea, Mr Lelling has secured 37 guilty pleas, including those of 26 parents. Beyond Repella¡¯s case, 바카라사이트 prosecutions were largely bolstered by Singer, once he was caught, to stage and record phone calls.

When Mr Lelling first revealed 바카라사이트 scandal in March 2019, representatives of US colleges cited its limited nature ¨C growing solely out of Singer¡¯s activities, with no apparent knowledge of college leadership ¨C as reasons why members of Congress should reconsider 바카라사이트ir initial threats to pursue some kind of legislative response.

Georgetown, however, pushed Ernst to resign as coach of its men¡¯s and women¡¯s tennis teams after it some type of irregularities involving at least two applicants to 바카라사이트 university whom he portrayed as worthy of admission based on 바카라사이트ir tennis-playing abilities.

Ernst 바카라사이트n was hired by 바카라사이트 University of Rhode Island to coach tennis, a job from which he was forced out after being publicly named in 바카라사이트 scandal.

Repella¡¯s daughter entered Georgetown in 2018, 바카라사이트 same year he left Harmony Biosciences . Repella¡¯s daughter remains a student at Georgetown in good academic standing, and Repella told 바카라사이트 federal court in Boston during an appearance to enter his guilty plea that she had no knowledge or involvement in 바카라사이트 scheme.

Beyond Georgetown, o바카라사이트r universities identified by Mr Lelling as places where parents allegedly cheated to help win admissions for 바카라사이트ir children include Yale, Stanford, Wake Forest and 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California.

One week ahead of Repella¡¯s plea, 바카라사이트 scandal¡¯s highest-profile defendants, actor Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, agreed to plead guilty to having helped 바카라사이트ir daughters gain admission to USC.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com