Laura Janke told a Boston federal jury that those children included the daughter of ex-casino executive Gamal Aziz, who is on trial with private equity firm founder John Wilson over charges. Nazik is a senior employee of the family planning agency, and her husband, Dr. Hussein, is a gynecologist and obstetrician. [8][2][6][5][9][10][11] He was then president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts International, and then MGM Hospitality in September 2010. If you do not find what you're looking for, you can use more accurate words. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Judge Gorton has not yet ruled on them. But lawyers for both of the accused men claimed that their clients were played by Singer, with him duping them into breaking the law when they actually thought their donations were legitimate. Fox News Flash top headlines for October 7. Wilson also is accused of paying more than $1 million to buy his twin daughters ways into Harvard and Stanford. 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. In notes on his phone which are now evidence in the case Singer also claimed that federal agents werepressuring him to liein recorded calls with parents, painting the payments they were making as bribes instead of donations. So, according to the documents, Mr. Abdelaziz helped Mr. Singer put together a basketball profile to submit to U.S.C. Prosecutors played jurors a slew of secretly recorded phone calls between Singer and the parents with the goal of proving that the parents not only knew their payments were bribes but were eager participants in the fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for next Wednesday. These included recognition for being on the Beijing Junior National Team, Asia Pacific ActivitiesConference All Star Team, 2016 China Cup Champions, and the Hong Kong Academy team MVP. Aziz was based in Macau for the Wynn until his sudden resignation in late 2016. Among those who testified during the more than three-week trial was a high school classmate of Abdelazizs daughter, who told jurors the girl didnt even make the cut for the varsity team. Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson wanted a guarantee their kids would get into the school of their choice and agreed to use fraud and bribery to have them designated as athletic recruits to make that a reality, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Frank told jurors in his closing argument. Singer pleaded guilty in 2019 to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and funneling money from the parents to corrupt coaches and athletics officials in order to secure the admission of their children as fake athletes. Gamal Abdelaziz, who previously worked for both Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International as a top gaming executive, was also ordered to serve 400 hours of community service and pay a $250,000 . U.S. District Judge Nathanial Gorton last week denied Abdelazizs motions for an acquittal or a new trial. 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. I will answer the same, should they call me.. Gamal Abdelaziz arrives at federal court, Oct. 7, 2021, in Boston. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Legal Analyst and Senior Sports Legal Reporter. A lawyer for Abdelaziz accused prosecutors of cherry picking from the phone calls to make it look like his client did something wrong and not calling key witnesses like Singer that he said would prove they have a weak case. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. 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. Absolutely great. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. . . [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. A former casino executive was sentenced on Wednesday to a year and a day in prison for participating in a conspiracy to secure his daughters admission to the University of Southern California as a Division I basketball recruit even though she did not make the varsity team in high school, prosecutors said. If you got twins?". Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 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. The parties have agreed to a sentence of at one to four years in prison, two years of supervised release and forfeiture of $3.4 million. The business executives John B. Wilson and Gamal Abdelaziz each received a long sentence, but in appeals, their lawyers say the key claim against them is legally flawed. [2][1][3] In March 2019, Aziz and others were named in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department, and charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, as part of the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. 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. Now, prosecutors face the challenge of convincing a jury that two of the few remaining parents still fighting are guilty. Laura Janke, a former USC soccer coach who has admitted taking bribes from Singer, testified that he later paid her after she left the school to create a profile for Aziz's daughter that falsified her height, team position and accolades. But prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that, unlike many parents who participated in the scheme, Mr. Abdelaziz had been intimately involved in the lies at every step of his daughters fraudulent admission to U.S.C.. At issue are the parents conduct, U.S.C.s admissions practices and possibly the fairness of the college admissions process itself. On Wednesday, Frank showed jurors multiple emails between Singer, parents, and others, including one from March 2018 to Abdelaziz, thanking him for his generous donation of $300,000 to Singers Key Worldwide Foundation, adding the money would benefit disadvantaged youngsters. Previously, he was the president of Wynn Macau Limited and also the chief operating officer of Wynn Resorts Development. If you got twins?". Abdelaziz was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel 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. When asked about other things on Sabrina Abdelazizs athletic profile, she also said, Its untrue that she was starting point guard or varsity captain.. None of these kids were getting recruited to play collegiate sports without the money.. Abdelaziz (known as Aziz") was one of fifty people arrested who were part of a scheme to fakeathletic. Nearly four dozen people have already pleaded guilty in the case. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Mr. Abdelaziz subsequently sent $300,000 to a foundation controlled by Mr. Singer, according to the documents. Sportico is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The explosive Varsity Blues scandal has taken down Hollywood stars, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The daughter matriculated to USC in the fall of 2018. In addition to the prison term, Mr. Abdelaziz must also serve two years of supervised release, complete 400 hours of community service and pay a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. A Wellesley College senior testified on Friday that virtually everything in the athletic profile of the daughter of one of two parents on trial in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal was untrue. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Disguising the nature and source of the bribe payments by funneling the money through the accounts of a purported charity . 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. He is awaitingsentencing for his role in the scam, which laid bare the stunning level of corruption in the US higher education system. The sentence for the former executive, Gamal Abdelaziz, 64, of Las Vegas, was the longest yet in the continuing federal prosecution of parents, coaches and others involved in a college admissions bribery scheme. The alleged scheme worked: His daughter was admitted. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Several current and former U.S.C. Judge Gorton was unpersuaded that USC wasnt tangibly hurt. The son gained admission. 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. Part of the trial will hinge on the question of whether Mr. Abdelaziz and Mr. Wilson believed that U.S.C. Others such as Ms. Huffman and Ms. Loughlin chose to plead guilty rather than take their chances before a jury. His attorney Brian Kelley said they intend to fight the allegations and stated to the press "we maintain it is a weak case", and that the government's case hinges on a "deeply compromised" witness. Singer told Abdelaziz the phony injury narrative was standard operating procedure for other families that went through the side door into elite colleges as fake athletes. While not reporting, he enjoys long-distance running. . The judge ordered Aziz, who is also known as Gamal Abdelaziz, to serve 12 months and a day in prison, pay a $250,000 fine and perform 400 hours of community service. 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