UCLA

Ex-UCLA Coach Pleads Guilty to Accepting $200K in Bribes

Jorge Salcedo, 47, admitted to participating in the college admissions bribery scheme

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Jorge Salcedo, former UCLA mens soccer coach, departs the John Joseph Moakley United State Courthouse in Boston on March 25, 2019. A dozen sports coaches and test administrators who are accused in a massive college admissions scandal appeared in a federal courtroom in Boston for the first time Monday, pleading not guilty to taking part in a multimillion-dollar scheme to help the children of wealthy clients get into selective colleges. Each defendant was arraigned on a charge of racketeering conspiracy, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A former University of California, Los Angeles men’s soccer coach pleaded guilty Monday to accepting $200,000 in bribes to help two students get into the school as recruits.

Jorge Salcedo, 47, admitted to participating in the college admissions bribery scheme involving TV celebrities, other wealthy parents and elite universities across the country.

Salcedo was paid $100,000 to help California couple Bruce and Davina Isackson get their daughter into UCLA as a bogus soccer recruit, prosecutors said. The Isacksons have also pleaded guilty and have been cooperating with authorities in the hope of getting a lighter sentence.

The actress received her sentence Friday for her role in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme.

Salcedo also took a $100,000 bribe from the admissions consultant at the center of the scheme, Rick Singer, to “recruit” the son of Xiaoning Sui, of Surrey, British Columbia, to his team, authorities said. Singer and Sui have also pleaded guilty.

Salcedo pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge in a hearing held in front of a Boston federal court judge via videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said she would decide whether to accept his plea deal at a later date after further review.

He’s the sixth coach to plead guilty in the high-profile case. Three other coaches are fighting the charges.

The coaches were paid in exchange for labeling students as recruits for sports they didn’t play to help them get into the schools, authorities said. Other parents paid bribes to have someone cheat on their kids entrance exams.

Nearly 30 prominent parents have pleaded guilty in the case dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.”

They include “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, who admitted to paying $15,000 to have someone rig her daughter’s SAT score.

"Full House" actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have pleaded guilty to paying half a million dollars to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.

The famous couple is scheduled to be sentenced in August. If the judge accepts their plea deals, Loughlin will be sentenced to two months behind bars and Giannulli will get five months.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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