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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. as a basketball recruit, even though she had not played basketball for more than a year and, when she had, was a member of her high schools junior varsity team. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. As explained in other Sportico stories, Operation Varsity Blues is predicated on the crime of honest services wire fraud. 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. Aziz made a number of trips to Boston to oversee the unveiling of the model of what is now namedEncore Boston Harbor. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Abdelaziz, of Las Vegas, was charged with paying $300,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit even though she didn't even make it onto her. Above, Abdelaziz arrives at federal . [25], On October 8, 2021, he was found guilty of fraud and bribery conspiracy. Sportico is a part of Penske Media Corporation. (Daily Trojan file photo) Two parents convicted of bribing their children's way into USC in the 2019 college admissions scandal will remain free on bail while they appeal their cases, a federal judge ordered Thursday. "John is not part of Singers con. Abdelaziz, a former casino executive from Las Vegas, is charged with paying $300,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit. In day four of Varsity Blues trial, student, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), High school tournaments: Winchester stuns No. He took contemporaneous notes saying that federal agents were pressuring him to lie in recorded calls with parents, describing the payments they were making as bribes rather than donations. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Wilson, a former Staples executive who now heads a Massachusetts private equity firm, is accused of paying $220,000 to have his son designated as a USC water polo recruit and an additional $1 million to buy his twin daughters ways into Harvard and Stanford. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Gamal Abdelaziz, 64, of Las Vegas, paid the bribe to secure his daughter's admission to the University of Southern California as a "basketball recruit." His daughter had not played. Another: The FBI was listening to calls in which Abdelaziz discussed the scheme. He then went on to run operations in Macau where hewas in charge of operations at the US$4.2 billion Wynn Palace hotel-casino resort on the Cotai Strip, which opened in August 2016. In this March 2019 photo, William "Rick" Singer, founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in Boston after he pleaded guilty to charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. They face the prospect of years in prison when they are sentenced in February, though the longest sentence any parent has received in the scandal so far was nine months. Sihs testimony was a blow to the defense of Gamal Abdelaziz, who is on trial with former Staples and Gap Inc. executive John Wilson on charges they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get their children into USC by falsely presenting them as athletic recruits. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The profile falsely claimed she was Hong Kong Academys team captain, had been named team MVP and had earned spots on the Asia Pacific Activities conference All-Star Team and the Beijing Junior National Team. Gamal Abdelaziz of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service and a fine of $250,000. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. He is among nearly 60 people charged in "Operation Varsity Blues," and was one of the. In June 2022, the final defendant in the investigation, Amin Khoury, was acquitted at trial of bribing a Georgetown University tennis coach to get his daughter into Georgetown. Former Wynn Macau president Gamal Abdelaziz knew a thing or two about odds when his daughter wanted to attend the University of Southern California five years ago. Abdelaziz and Singer discussed by phone how to handle the daughters absence from the basketball team. Hey [CW-1], that profile that you did for Azizs daughter, I loved it. The longest prison sentence any parent in the case has received so far is nine months. In fact, he was interviewed in July 2013 after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission launched an investigation into the limited liability company that was selling the land to Wynn. The actress Lori Loughlin was released from federal prison in December 2020 after she completed a two-month sentence for conspiring to pass her daughters off as rowers so they could be admitted to U.S.C. He was also the former CEO of MGM Resorts International. But prosecutors say that U.S.C.s admission practices are not on trial, and in court documents, they lay out key aspects of their case. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. So Im not going to, Im not going to say that to the IRS obviously. The explosive Varsity Blues scandal has taken down Hollywood stars, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Abdelaziz, a former Wynn Resorts executive, allegedly paid Singer $300,000 in 2018 to have his daughter admitted to USC as a basketball recruit despite her not making her high school varsity team. Opening statements begin on Monday for the first parents to face trial in a sweeping college admissions case that exposed the role that money, athletics and family privilege play in the competition for coveted seats at brand-name schools. [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. 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. [5][7], Aziz was next president and chief operating officer of the 5,000-room, 10,000-employee resort MGM Grand, the largest hotel by rooms in the US, joining it in 2001. [2][13], In January 2013 Aziz was appointed president and chief operating officer of Wynn Resorts Development LLC, overseeing expansion opportunities. A former Wynn Resorts executive has been sentenced to one year in prison after he was convicted of paying a $300,000 bribe as part of the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal in the stiffest sentence handed out to date. The son withdrew from the team after one semester. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. USC, for its part, has said it wasnt aware of Singers scam until2018, when it cooperated with the investigation. Legal Analyst and Senior Sports Legal Reporter. According to the documents, Mr. Singer told investigators that he had advised Mr. Abdelaziz that his daughter was unlikely to get into U.S.C. "So that's what we'll be doing next.". 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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. Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Azizs response was Thats fine. Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, was charged with paying $300,000 to get his daughter into USC as a basketball recruit even though she didn't even make it onto her high school's varsity team. A Geotechnical Engineer with 32 years of experience in Civil Engineering. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Mastermind of Varsity Blues college admissions scheme sentenced to over 3 years in federal prison, Mastermind behind college admissions scandal feels regret before sentencing, Womens prison warden accused of running rape club found guilty of sexually abusing inmates, John Stamos defends ex-con Full House co-star Lori Loughlin in wake of scandal. Abdelaziz, instead, went to trial. 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 playing basketball that was used to try to get the defendants daughter into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit. Mr. Wilson was also found guilty of additional fraud and bribery charges, and of filing a false tax return for taking a deduction for a payment that the government called a bribe. Among their assertions were that USC suffered no tangible economic harm. More than three dozen parents in the college admissions scam case either pleaded guilty or were convicted following trial. But he made one terrible mistake a mistake that has already cost him his business, tarnished his reputation and placed a great strain on his family, the lawyers wrote. As part of the scheme, prosecutors said, Mr. Abdelaziz sent Mr. Singer a photograph of another girl playing basketball for a fake athletic profile., He also lied to another college counselor to hide his daughters admission to U.S.C. The sentence for Gamal Abdelaziz, 64, of Las Vegas, was the longest yet in the continuing federal prosecution known as Operation Varsity Blues. In a call prosecutors played for the jury, Singer told Wilson that it "doesnt matter" what sport they were paired with and that he would "make them a sailor or something. . Abdelaziz in 2017 agreed to pay co-conspirator William Rick Singer the $300,000 bribe to secure the admission of his daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. 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 . 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 undeserving applicants into college by falsely portraying them as star athletes. Former Wynn Resorts Ltd. executive Gamal Abdelaziz, 64, was convicted Friday of two counts of conspiracy by a Boston jury after prosecutors alleged he paid $300,000 in bribes to get his. And he oversaw the editing of his daughters U.S.C. "And in crossing that line, they broke the law. 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. BOSTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Two wealthy fathers who were the first to face trial in the U.S. college admissions scandal were convicted on Friday of charges that they corruptly tried to buy their children's way into elite universities as phony athletic recruits. But that doesnt mean he committed any crimes, Kendall said. Gamal Aziz, also known as Gamal Abdelaziz, ( Arabic: ) (born 1957 or 1958) is an Egyptian-American businessman. 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. 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. In 2000 a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering (Pile Foundations) from Concordia University in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) was obtained; and in 1993 a M.Sc. Nate Raymond reports on the federal judiciary and litigation. . The mastermind of this college admissions scheme, a college consultant named William Singer, and known as Rick, has already pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges and cooperated with the government. 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. I write and consult on federal criminal law and criminal justice. Donna Heinel, then a senior associate athletic director, was bribed to present a fake profile of Abdelazizs daughter to an admissions subcommittee. Prosecutors did not call Singer to testify, instead relying on his recorded calls with parents. Former MGM Resorts executive Gamal Abdelaziz was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in federal prison for bribing his daughter's way into the University of Southern California as a. According the the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Aziz had a long career relationship with Steve Wynnwhere he worked atWynns Mirage Resorts in 1998 to help open the Bellagio, then the most expensive U.S. hotel ever built. application and essay, which began, prosecutors said, with the line: "The basketball court is like my art studio." In September 2018, Mr.. There is no evidence, not even a hint, that John figured out Singers scam. During opening statements Monday, the defense lawyers for Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson made clear that their clients the first parents to face trial in the sprawling college admissions scandal would not be the only ones up for judgment. 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. The actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were both sentenced to prison for their roles 14 days for Ms. Huffman, who admitted to conspiring to fraudulently inflate her daughters SAT score, and two months for Ms. Loughlin, who admitted to paying to get her two daughters into U.S.C. Abdelaziz, of Las Vegas, is accused of paying $300,000 to the sham charity run by the scheme's mastermind admissions consultant Rick Singer to get his daughter into USC as a basketball recruit. Are you -, CW-1: Ill tell you a funny story, is that Donna Heinel, how is the senior womens administrator, she actually called me and said . In one recording played on Friday for the jury, Singer tells Wilson that hes going to do more than 730 of these side-door deals at 50 or 60 schools., In another recording, Wilson asks, Is there any way to make those (payments) tax-deductible, as like, donations to a school?. Heinel, Singer reported, fibbed that the daughter would be out for six to eight months.. Singer told Abdelaziz in another call that his foundation was being audited by the IRS a ruse authorities instructed Singer to use in the hopes of getting the parents to admit to the scheme on tape. Mr. Singer told investigators that although the daughter played basketball in high school, she was not good enough to be recruited. Normally, the prosecution would want such a key player to describe the conspiracy to the jury. GamalAbdelaziz (known as Aziz") was one of fifty people arrested who were part of a scheme to fakeathleticaccomplishments, ACT scores and academic records to get students into elite universities across the country. Gamal Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, is accused of paying $300,000 to get his daughter admitted to the U.S.C. . Defense lawyers have claimed that the parents were duped by Singer and led to believe that their payments were legitimate donations. 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.. Nearly four dozen people have already pleaded guilty in the case. In December, the final parent in the bombshell Varsity Blues college admissions cheating scandal agreed to plead guilty. Aziz is accused of paying The Key Worldwide Foundation, a California-based college consulting nonprofit, $300,000 to create a fake athletic profile for his daughter to secure her admission to the. 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 . "Its all smoke and mirrors," Kelly said of the governments case. 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. In this March 2019 photo, William "Rick" Singer, founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in Boston after he pleaded guilty to charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal.