Gordon Ernst, a former Georgetown University head tennis coach was found guilty last fall for allowing bribes to let students gain admission to the school. He was sentenced to more than two years in prison. Mr. Ernst’s sentence represented the harshest punishment issued so far in Operation Varsity Blues – a federal investigation focusing on the payment of bribes. Specifcally, rich parents paying to have their children admitted into elite colleges.
“Mr. Ernst was one of the most prolific participants in cheating the college admissions system,” Racheal S. Rollins, the U.S. attorney, stated. “He put nearly $3.5 million in bribes directly into his pocket and sold close to two dozen slots at Georgetown to the highest bidder. He was a key driver of this corruption of the college admissions process, and the court’s sentence speaks volumes about the gravity of his conduct.”
The disgraced ex-Georgetown tennis coach was arrested in March of 2019, along with over fifty other coaches, parents, and center officials. Mr. Ernst pleaded guilty to taking bribes to recruit at least twelve students for the university’s tennis team between the years of 2012 and 2018.
A large reason why his punishment was so harsh compared to others is because Mr. Ernst failed to report all the income correctly from the bribe payments. Mr. Ernst worked alongside the “ringleader” of the college admissions scheme, William Singer ( also known as Rick ), a private college counselor who offered wealthy families a “side door” for the nation’s top colleges. Like Mr. Ernst, Mr. Singer used athletic recruiters to muddle a college applicant’s qualifications. Unlike Mr. Ernst though, Mr. Singer has not yet been sentenced, along with three other remaining defendants, but his hearing is scheduled for September.
Sources
• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/gordon-ernst-georgetown-tennis-coach-scandal.html
• https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme
“Mr. Ernst was one of the most prolific participants in cheating the college admissions system,” Racheal S. Rollins, the U.S. attorney, stated. “He put nearly $3.5 million in bribes directly into his pocket and sold close to two dozen slots at Georgetown to the highest bidder. He was a key driver of this corruption of the college admissions process, and the court’s sentence speaks volumes about the gravity of his conduct.”
The disgraced ex-Georgetown tennis coach was arrested in March of 2019, along with over fifty other coaches, parents, and center officials. Mr. Ernst pleaded guilty to taking bribes to recruit at least twelve students for the university’s tennis team between the years of 2012 and 2018.
A large reason why his punishment was so harsh compared to others is because Mr. Ernst failed to report all the income correctly from the bribe payments. Mr. Ernst worked alongside the “ringleader” of the college admissions scheme, William Singer ( also known as Rick ), a private college counselor who offered wealthy families a “side door” for the nation’s top colleges. Like Mr. Ernst, Mr. Singer used athletic recruiters to muddle a college applicant’s qualifications. Unlike Mr. Ernst though, Mr. Singer has not yet been sentenced, along with three other remaining defendants, but his hearing is scheduled for September.
Sources
• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/gordon-ernst-georgetown-tennis-coach-scandal.html
• https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme
