Last fall, Gordon Ernst, a Georgetown tennis coach, pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges. Given 30 months of jail time, Ernst’s sentence was the harshest sentence so far in the federal investigation “Operation Varsity Blues”, which investigated multiple cases where wealthy families paid money to guarantee their children entered an elite college.
The former tennis coach was involved in such a conspiracy, having accepted bribes from wealthy parents to ensure their children were admitted into Georgetown. “Mr. Ernst was one of the most prolific participants in cheating the college admissions system,” Rachael S. Rollins, the U.S. attorney, said in a statement. “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.”
Ernst was arrested in March 2019 with more than 50 other parents, coaches, and testing center officials. He had guaranteed more than 12 students as recruits for the Georgetown tennis team, some of which didn’t even play tennis competitively.
“Mr. Ernst 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,” Ms. Rollins continued in her statement.
Ernst worked alongside William Signer, who infamously offered wealthy families a “side door” into the nation’s top universities. Singer used athletic recruiters like Mr. Ernst to get students accepted. Singer is one of four remaining defendants in the Varsity Blues case. His hearing will happen in September.
Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/gordon-ernst-georgetown-tennis-coach-scandal.html
The former tennis coach was involved in such a conspiracy, having accepted bribes from wealthy parents to ensure their children were admitted into Georgetown. “Mr. Ernst was one of the most prolific participants in cheating the college admissions system,” Rachael S. Rollins, the U.S. attorney, said in a statement. “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.”
Ernst was arrested in March 2019 with more than 50 other parents, coaches, and testing center officials. He had guaranteed more than 12 students as recruits for the Georgetown tennis team, some of which didn’t even play tennis competitively.
“Mr. Ernst 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,” Ms. Rollins continued in her statement.
Ernst worked alongside William Signer, who infamously offered wealthy families a “side door” into the nation’s top universities. Singer used athletic recruiters like Mr. Ernst to get students accepted. Singer is one of four remaining defendants in the Varsity Blues case. His hearing will happen in September.
Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/gordon-ernst-georgetown-tennis-coach-scandal.html
