Act Daily News
—
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 Brand, 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 response to the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Brand’s lawyer mentioned the decision exonerates his consumer.
“We are very grateful to the jury for their service and careful consideration of the evidence,” Attorney Douglas Brooks mentioned. “Today’s verdict exonerates Peter Brand who is 100% innocent.”
Attorney Bill Weinreb, who represents Zhao, advised Act Daily News, “We are grateful to the jury for their service and for doing justice in this case.”
Brand was Harvard’s males’s and girls’s fencing coach from 1999 till 2019, when Harvard University fired him, months after he was accused of promoting his residence to Zhao, whose son was actively trying to apply to the college.
The sale of the Needham, Massachusetts, residence in 2016 significantly drew investigators consideration as a result of Zhao purchased it for nearly twice what a tax doc mentioned it was value.
The buy of the house was amongst $1.5 million in funds scrutinized by prosecutors within the case, together with a big cost to Brand’s charitable basis and school tuition funds for Brand’s son.
Zhao has two sons who’re fencers and had been admitted to Harvard. He denied the bribery allegations and his lawyer has referred to as his kids tutorial and fencing stars who bought into Harvard on their very own benefit.
After the 2 males had been acquitted, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office within the District of Massachusetts advised Act Daily News in an announcement that they basically disagreed with however revered the decision.
“This case was prosecuted for the millions of high school seniors and their families who engage in the stressful and humbling exercise of applying to college every year. That process is supposed to be a meritocracy,” the US Attorney’s Office assertion learn. “The instant case exposed such profound levels of privilege, entitlement and wealth abusing the college admissions process that something had to be done. And I am proud that we did.”
The case towards Brand and Zhao got here amid a sprawling school admissions rip-off, first revealed in March 2019, during which wealthy dad and mom of faculty candidates used their wealth to cheat on standardized assessments, bribe sports activities coaches and lie concerning the funds.
“Our trial team worked tirelessly and tried an excellent case. Their efforts were not in vain,” US Attorney’s Office mentioned. “This case and all of the college admissions prosecutions have led to significant reforms at colleges and universities across the country aimed at curtailing the ability of those with means and access to flagrantly ignore the rules that apply to everyone else.”