Former Casino Exec Defends $300K Feds Allege Was College Admissions Bribe
Former gambling casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz — his shoemaker's last identify often shortened to Aziz — went on visitation this hebdomad inwards Beantown for his alleged involvement in the 2019 college admissions graft scandal.
Aziz amassed his vast wealth inward the global gaming industry. The Egyptian-American businessman served in a keep down of senior executive capacities for some of the world’s most prominent cassino companies. Aziz’s restart includes stints at Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Wynn Resorts.
His most recent roles were chair of Wynn Macau inward China, and chief operating officer of Wynn Resorts Development. Aziz helped lead Wynn Resorts’ edifice of its $2.4 one million million structured holiday resort inward Everett, Ma., which is simply miles from the Hub of the Universe federal courthouse where he’s on trial.
No Crime in Being Charitable
Dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” the Department of Justice inwards 2019 revealed a widespread college admissions outrage led by Rick Isaac Bashevis Singer and his Francis Scott Key Worldwide Foundation. Federal prosecutors say Aziz contracted Rick Singer to facilitate his girl make banker's acceptance into the University of Southern Calif. (USC).
The feds say Isaac M. Singer orchestrated bribery schemes at various universities crosswise the country. Those allowed the children of wealthy businesspersons and celebrities to fraudulently pull ahead acceptance to prestigious colleges.
Singer pleaded hangdog inwards 2019 to facilitating cheating on college spellbind exams and bribing coaches and athletic officials to intromit students posing as faux athletic recruits. He additionally admitted to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
The DOJ says Aziz cut off Singer’s Francis Scott Key Worldwide Foundation a $300,000 retard inwards 2018. His daughter was later accepted into USC as a basketball game recruit.
Aziz attorney Brian Grace Patricia Kelly said in his chess opening remarks that his client has through nothing wrong. He argues that the $300,000 of Aziz’s money that was contributed to USC was simply a philanthropic decision.
Giving money to a school with a go for that it gets your kid in is not a crime,” Grace Patricia Kelly told jurors. “No unity of all time said bribery.”
Prosecutors say they won’t send for Isaac Bashevis Singer to the attestor stand, something Princess Grace of Monaco says throws uncertainty into their charges that Aziz did anything wrong.
“The slip revolves around Rick Singer, the whole investigation, it’s why we’re here. And at present the authorities says ‘nevermind, we’re not calling him.’ Think around that when you eventually deliberate,” Princess Grace of Monaco urged jurors.
Dozens Admit Guilt
The Justice Department has charged 57 people in the college admissions scandal. Forty-six, including celebrities Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, feature already pleaded shamed to lawlessly bribing their children’s way into a university.
Aziz’s tryout is expected to finally several weeks.
Singer is awaiting sentencing. The DOJ has recommended that Singer’s prison house term be on the bring down cease of the government’s guidelines. He’s cladding a maximum of 65 years in prison, as intimately as upwardly to $1 zillion inward fines.
Universities mired in the scandal, in improver to USC, include Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, and UCLA.
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