By: Real America News Updated 09 Feb 2022, 22: 42 pm EST
A former casino executive was sentenced Wednesday to one year in prison for paying $300,04 dollars in bribes for her daughter to be admitted to the University of Southern California (USC).
Gamal Abdelaziz, who worked for Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International as a senior executive, must also comply 300 hours of community service and pay a fine of $250 , dollars, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The sentence is part of the federal investigation called Operation Varsity Blues, which involves dozens of wealthy people who bribed university officials to enter elite schools .
Some celebrities, such as the actress of “Full House,” Lori Loughlin, and the “Des perate Housewives” Felicity Huffman, were implicated in the scandal.
William “Rick” Singer, principal of Edge College & Career Network, pleaded guilty in 2019 to charges of extortion and money laundering.
According to the Department of Justice, Abdelaziz was sentenced to the longest prison term to date admissions scandal. The former executive was convicted by a federal jury in October of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit bribery in federal programs.
The jury found Abdelaziz guilty of paying $300,000 dollars to Singer to help her daughter get into USC as a standout basketball player. His daughter did not play in her junior year of high school, according to the Justice Department.
At the sentencing hearing, US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton said Abdelaziz displayed a “lack of integrity, morality and common sense”.
“By doing so you stole a place of admission in a good university from a deserving student who did not have your economic possibilities”.
The defense of Abdelaziz reported that he will appeal the sentence.