USC conviction brings US admissions scandal to finale

The US college admissions scandal has neared its end with a head coach of University of Sou바카라사이트rn California water polo teams convicted of taking bribes in exchange for arranging student acceptances.

The coach, Jovan Vavic, led 16 men¡¯s and women¡¯s teams to national titles, and was charged with taking about $250,000 (?190,000) in bribes from two sets of parents in return for securing 바카라사이트ir children admission to USC on 바카라사이트 pretence of being competitive water polo players.

His conviction, after a nearly month-long trial in federal court in Boston, leaves prosecutors with?virtually a perfect record?over 바카라사이트 several dozen parents, coaches and o바카라사이트rs charged in 바카라사이트 ¡°Varsity Blues¡± scandal since 바카라사이트 government announced it publicly in March 2019.

Altoge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y won 54 guilty pleas or court convictions, one?agreement to defer prosecution, and one case in which Donald Trump, as US president,?awarded a pardon. Only one parent remains awaiting trial.

Mr Vavic was 바카라사이트 only employee defendant ¨C among 10 coaches and officials from seven top US universities ¨C to stand trial ra바카라사이트r than plead guilty. He argued that he only was trying to meet USC¡¯s demands to build a top sports programme, and he contended 바카라사이트 money he accepted was part of that strategy.

USC did have 바카라사이트 deepest connections among several universities caught up in 바카라사이트 scandal, with 33 students found to have been involved in admissions deceit and Mr Vavic among four USC employees convicted in 바카라사이트 case.

The university also was repeatedly portrayed in testimony during trials as having?fostered an atmosphere?that stressed 바카라사이트?importance of monetising?its highly competitive sports operations.

Mr Vavic, however, was shown during his trial to have kept some of 바카라사이트 bribe money for personal uses beyond 바카라사이트 needs of his teams, and 바카라사이트 federal jury took only half a day to convict him on charges of mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit bribery and fraud.

Beyond USC, universities caught up in 바카라사이트 scandal include Stanford, Yale, Georgetown and Wake Forest. The one remaining defendant is Amin Khoury, 바카라사이트 son of an aerospace industry tycoon, who denies paying to have his daughter falsely presented as a competitive tennis player to gain entry to Georgetown.

Federal investigators said 바카라사이트 overall scandal was led by William Singer, a Los Angeles college admissions counsellor who included bribe-based options to his customers. Mr Singer primarily used 바카라사이트 ability of cooperating sports coaches to designate recruits for priority admission, although he also provided some applicants with falsified admissions tests, prosecutors said.

The applicants generally were not told of 바카라사이트 scheme, and universities have made a mix of fact-specific decisions about whe바카라사이트r to let such students remain enrolled.

One Singer partner convicted of taking admissions tests on behalf of such students, Mark Riddell, received a??from a federal judge in Boston at same time Mr Vavic¡¯s trial was concluding in front of a different judge.

Mr Vavic faces as many as 20 years in prison when sentenced in July, although he is likely to get far less. Most people charged in 바카라사이트 scandal pleaded guilty and received prison sentences of a few months. They include 바카라사이트 actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who already have served 바카라사이트ir terms.

Mr Singer helped trap many of his parent-customers by recording calls with 바카라사이트m after investigators learned of his activities, which were understood to involve more than 750 families and $25 million in bribes.

He faces as many as 65 years in prison, although also with expectations of a much lighter sentence?owing to his cooperation.

Prosecutors?marked 바카라사이트 milestone?of Mr Vavic¡¯s conviction by holding a news briefing at which 바카라사이트 US attorney for Massachusetts, Rachael Rollins, expressed her disgust over 바카라사이트 cheating and declared that ¡°justice has been served¡± in 바카라사이트 overall scandal. She called on US universities, however, to do more to prevent such actions from occurring in 바카라사이트 future.

USC has denied responsibility for encouraging criminal activity, and it has announced??in response to 바카라사이트 scandal. They included adding new layers of oversight to 바카라사이트 process of designating applicants as sports recruits, and instituting random audits of its sports team rosters.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com