2 parents convicted in 1st trial of college bribery scandal

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

BOSTON (AP) — Two wealthy parents were convicted Friday of buying their kids’ way into school as athletic recruits in the first case to go to trial in the college admissions cheating scandal that embroiled prestigious universities across the country.

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.

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 high school’s varsity team. Wilson, who heads a Massachusetts private equity firm, was 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.

They are to be sentenced in February.



John Wilson, center, and his wife, right leave federal court after he was found guilty of participating in a fraudulent college admissions scheme Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Boston. Wilson and another wealthy parent Gamal Abdelaziz, were convicted Friday of buying their kids' way into school as athletic recruits in the first case to go to trial in the college admissions cheating scandal that embroiled prestigious universities across the country. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-entertainment-sports-business-water-polo-58b3596b9924796b40d57a6ce71986a7

[redstatebluegirl]

1. Excellent!

This is fraud nothing less!

[Javaman]

2. they'll get a slap on the wrist at a country club prison.

they will build a plea deal between now and sentencing.

they will take their bags of money and buy a lesser sentence for themselves.

money walks, the poor serve time.

[justgamma]

3. This isn't the first.

Lori Loughlin already served 2 months in jail for bribery and her husband also served some jail time. Now their Daughter is on Dancing with the Stars.

[OnlinePoker]

4. These were actual trials.

Loughlin, her husband, and several others made plea deals.

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Don't these people follow the news??

[speaktruthtopower]

10. Soliciting is usually taken as more serious...

= position of power.

[TimeToGo]

11. Definitely

[mbusby]

6. Maybe their kid can get a...

...scholarship in Whatsamata U.

[nuxvomica]

7. Lock 'em up and throw away the keys!

These folks may not seem dangerous but when you have someone with a lot of money and "boundary issues" there's no telling what else they might be up to.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Meritocracy of the unqualified

So basically, they didn't pass either hurdle? Academic record or outstanding athletes? Yeah, I could see that as a problem for admission.

[Ron Obvious]

9. I assumed it had always worked this way

Last edited Sat Oct 9, 2021, 08:39 AM - Edit history (1)

Maybe I'm too cynical.

[IbogaProject]

14. They side stepped the Universities

They side stepped the Universities, they'd have been fine donating a building. This was they got caught going cheep. Not right either way, but the system that advantages the very wealthy isn't getting changed from this.

[Sherman A1]

12. I would like to see them serve some time

Have a lengthy sentence of community service involving real physical labor and a heavy fine used to set up college funding for deserving students into trade schools and such.

[RVN VET71]

15. The schools, too, need to be sanctioned.

Unless the schools rejected the bribe offers and were, themselves, responsible for the charges being brought against these awful people, they are as guilty as the parents.