Jovan Vavic, a former College of Southern California water polo coach, arrives at federal courtroom in Boston, March 25, 2019, to face costs in a nationwide faculty admissions bribery scandal. (AP Photograph/Steven Senne, File)
BOSTON --
A adorned former water polo coach on the College of Southern California accepted hundreds of dollars in bribes to pretend athletic credentials and designate faculty candidates as water polo recruits so they may acquire admission into the elite Los Angeles college, prosecutors argued as the newest trial within the sprawling faculty admissions bribery scandal opened Thursday in Boston federal courtroom.
However legal professionals for Jovan Vavic painted a starkly totally different image, arguing the 60-year-old coach, who guided USC's males's and ladies's water polo groups to 16 nationwide championships, by no means took bribes and was merely doing his half to recruit gamers who might additionally carry a windfall of donations to the varsity, as USC officers needed.
"The proof will present that the school admissions scandal is actual, however coach Vavic was not part of it," Stephen Larson, Vavic's lawyer, mentioned in his opening statements within the trial, which is anticipated to final about 4 weeks. "Each greenback that folks donated to USC you will see stayed at USC. He didn't take a dime."
Prosecutors say Vavic acquired greater than $200,000 in bribes from William "Rick" Singer, the school admissions marketing consultant who was the mastermind of the scheme, which concerned rich mother and father paying bribes to have their kids admitted into elite faculties utilizing rigged take a look at scores or bogus athletic accomplishments.
However Vavic's legal professionals preserve that some $100,000 was deposited instantly right into a USC account to profit the water polo groups whereas about $120,000 in funds for the personal highschool tuitions of Vavic's sons have been truly scholarships awarded by Singer's nonprofit group for his or her excellent work as student-athletes.
"There is no misappropriation, no fraud," Larson argued.
Vavic's legal professionals additionally argue that their consumer, like different USC coaches, was pressured to fundraise for his groups and that the college has a tradition of giving preferential admission to the kids of potential donors.
However Assistant U.S. Legal professional Ian Stearns argued that USC was a sufferer within the scheme as a result of Vavic lied concerning the college students' athletic prowess. One hadn't even performed the game in years regardless that the coach claimed she was a top-tier recruit, he mentioned.
USC, which fired Vavic following his arrest in March 2019, harassed in an announcement Thursday that the college and its admissions processes are "not on trial."
Vavic, who can be accused of serving to recruit different coaches into the scheme, faces costs of fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery. He is the one coach of the various implicated within the scheme to problem his costs in courtroom.
Most athletic officers and fogeys have already pleaded responsible to a spread of crimes, together with distinguished coaches from Yale, Stanford and Georgetown. Various mother and father have even accomplished their jail sentences, together with Full Home star Lori Loughlin, her clothier husband Mossimo Giannulli and Determined Housewives star Felicity Huffman.
In all, almost 60 folks have been charged within the investigation dubbed by authorities as "Operation Varsity Blues." Solely two others moreover Vavic have gone to trial.
Former Staples Inc. govt John Wilson was sentenced to serve 15 months in federal jail final month, the longest sentence thus far handed down. And Gamal Abdelaziz, a former on line casino govt, was sentenced to serve one 12 months and someday.
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