The executives convicted Friday were the first to go to trial in the scandal
A jury gave two privileged parents the varsity blues. Casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and Staples exec John Wilson were convicted on Friday of scamming their children into top-notch schools as athletic recruits. The verdict in Boston closed out the first case to go to trial in the “Operation Varsity Blues” college admissions cheating scandal that embroiled prestigious universities and rich and famous folks across the country. “What they did was an affront to hardworking students and parents, but the verdict today proves that even these defendants — powerful and privileged people — are not above the law,” acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Mendell told reporters. Abdelaziz’s daughter didn’t even make her high school varsity basketball team, but the Las Vegas businessman paid $300,000 to get her into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit.
