CNN
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A former Harvard fencing coach and a Maryland businessman had been each acquitted of conspiring to get the businessman’s two sons admitted to Harvard in alternate for greater than $1.5 million in bribes, authorities introduced Wednesday.
Former fencing coach Peter Model, 67, and businessman Jack Zhao, 61, had been acquitted of conspiracy to commit federal packages bribery and federal packages bribery – greater than two years after they had been indicted, in accordance with the US Lawyer’s Workplace in Massachusetts.
Model’s lawyer mentioned the decision exonerates his consumer.
“We’re very grateful to the jury for his or her service and cautious consideration of the proof,” Lawyer Douglas Brooks mentioned. “Right now’s verdict exonerates Peter Model who’s 100% harmless.”
Lawyer Invoice Weinreb, who represents Zhao, informed CNN, “We’re grateful to the jury for his or her service and for doing justice on this case.”
Model was Harvard’s males’s and ladies’s fencing coach from 1999 till 2019, when Harvard College fired him, months after he was accused of promoting his dwelling to Zhao, whose son was actively trying to apply to the varsity.
The sale of the Needham, Massachusetts, dwelling in 2016 significantly drew investigators consideration as a result of Zhao purchased it for nearly twice what a tax doc mentioned it was price.
The acquisition of the house was amongst $1.5 million in funds scrutinized by prosecutors within the case, together with a big cost to Model’s charitable basis and school tuition funds for Model’s son.
Zhao has two sons who’re fencers and had been admitted to Harvard. He denied the bribery allegations and his lawyer has known as his kids educational and fencing stars who bought into Harvard on their very own benefit.
After the 2 males had been acquitted, a spokesperson for the US Lawyer’s Workplace within the District of Massachusetts informed CNN in an announcement that they basically disagreed with however revered the decision.
“This case was prosecuted for the tens of millions of highschool seniors and their households who have interaction within the demanding and humbling train of making use of to school yearly. That course of is meant to be a meritocracy,” the US Lawyer’s Workplace assertion learn. “The moment case uncovered such profound ranges of privilege, entitlement and wealth abusing the faculty admissions course of that one thing needed to be completed. And I’m proud that we did.”
The case towards Model and Zhao got here amid a sprawling school admissions rip-off, first revealed in March 2019, by which wealthy dad and mom of school candidates used their wealth to cheat on standardized assessments, bribe sports activities coaches and lie in regards to the funds.
“Our trial workforce labored tirelessly and tried a superb case. Their efforts weren’t in useless,” US Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned. “This case and the entire school admissions prosecutions have led to important reforms at faculties and universities throughout the nation geared toward curbing the flexibility of these with means and entry to flagrantly ignore the principles that apply to everybody else.”