| After
Varsity Blues Guilty Verdicts on Wilson
and Abdelaziz USC Heinel To Plead 37
Months
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
FEDERAL COURT,
Nov 5 – In the first of the
Varsity Blues college
admissions bribery cases to
come to trial, on September 14
in the U.S. District Court for
the District of Massachusetts
Bruce Isackson, who pled
guilty, was cross examined.
Inner City Press live tweeted
it here
(podcast here)
On October 8,
both Gamal
Abdelaziz and
John
Wilson have
been found guilty by the jury
after some 10 hours of
deliberation, on conspiracy to
commit fraud and conspiracy to
commit bribery involving a
school that receives federal
funds, USC, and aiding and
abetting in fraud and bribery
and filing a false tax
return.
Gamal Abdelaziz is scheduled
to be sentenced on Feb. 17,
Wilson on Feb. 16.
In November, the
next Varsity Blues trial was
canceled: former USC
official Donna Heinel is
pleading guilty. The US
Attorney's Office is
to recommend a
sentence between 37 and 46
months in prison.
From October 6:
Jury Trial Day 19 as to Gamal
Abdelaziz, John Wilson held on
10/6/2021. Closing arguments
by the Government. Closing
arguments by Defendant
Abdelaziz. Closing arguments
by Defendant Wilson. Rebuttal
by Government. Jury Trial Day
20 to resume at 9:00 AM on
10/7/21 with the charge to the
Jury. (Attorneys present:
Kelly, Sharp, Sheketoff,
Maynard, Stearns, Kearney,
Wright, Frank, Tomback,
Papenhausen, Kendall.)
From September
14: Abdelaziz's lawyer shows
that Isackson never met his
client. Now playing audio
"that the prosecutor skipped
over yesterday, it starts on
page 65"
On tape, Ryan: Hi
mom, I'm just here with Rick
& Dad. "Maybe one of the
B's can become an A... And
he's got soccer."
Ryan: My favorite
was probably UCLA... What did
you like about it? Ryan: It's
a big community, they have
good sports there, it would be
fun to go to games. Bruce
Isackson: His sister goes
there, so everything's
comfortable. Ryan: I
went to USC with Audrey
Abdelaziz's
lawyer: He's not using his
threatening tone there, is he?
Bruce Isackson: He is not.
Rick (on audio) - If you could
be a practice player --
Abdelaziz's
lawyer: He wasn't sucking your
son into a crime, was he?
Bruce Isackson: I don't
understand Inner City Press
@innercitypress · 1h
Abdelaziz's lawyer: You enjoy
sports, don't you? Bruce
Isackson: I'm a fan.
Abdelaziz's
lawyer: And teams use practice
players, right? Bruce
Isackson: I suppose.
Audio Rick: If I call Jorge,
and he's a practice player,
it's his whole life, just
school and soccer
Abdelaziz's
lawyer: Did you use the word
'scheme' when you talked with
the agents?
Bruce Isackson: I
think so. Abdelaziz's lawyer:
Do you think that is reflected
in any of the notes? Return to
audio, transcript Page 70:
Ryan: UCLA is like in a better
location.
Abdelaziz's
lawyer: You don't know what a
man from Nevada was thinking,
do you? Bruce Isackson: A man
from Nevada? Abdelaziz's
lawyer: My client. You're not
a mind reader, are you? Bruce
Isackson: No, I am not.
Cross-examination
ends with Isackson
acknowledging his 37 month
guidelines sentence unless he
cooperates like this. AUSA
objected to "what the
government will do," but judge
overruled it.
On September 13, there was
Isackson's direct examinatoin
by the AUSA. Inner City Press
live tweeted, here:
Isackson
says he paid Rick Singer
$250,000 for his daughter
Audrew to get into USC as a
crew (rowing) recruit. All
that was required was a head
shot.
Now shown in
court: Dec 15, 2017 email from
Rick Singer to Audrey
Isackson, Bruce and Davina,
and "Steve Masera at
thekeyworldwide.com , "please
keep this hush hush til late
March."
Bruce Isackson
says Singer promised him a
"controlled environment" for
testing for Audrey. All he had
to show was that she needed
more time to process
questions.
AUSA: What would
happen there? Isackson: The
proctor would change the
score.
Bruce Isackson:
Audrey said she thought she'd
done well on her own. Then
Rick said, excuse me, She did
sh*t.
AUSA: What
score did she get on the ACT?
Bruce Isackson: A
31. We paid $100,000 to the
Key Worldwide Foundation, then
to Rick and the proctor.
AUSA: Did you
take a tax write off?
Isackson: Yes.
AUSA: Did you do
it again for your son?
Isackson: Yes.
We'd use the same process with
Rick.
AUSA: So your son
Ryan was going to get into USC
as a soccer player. Did he
play soccer?
Isackson: Yes.
AUSA: Did he play
at a level to be recruited to
USC?
Isackson. No. Not
even close.
AUSA: Did Rick
Singer claim to be a part
owner of the Sacramento Kings?
Isackson: He did.
AUSA: Did you
believe him?
Isackson: No....
The case is
US v. GAMAL ABDELAZIZ et
al., 19-10080-NMG (MAD)
***
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