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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The former head coach for Georgetown University's men's and women's tennis teams pleaded guilty Monday for his role in the "Operation Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal.
Gordon Ernst, a resident of Falmouth, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, three counts of federal programs bribery, and one count of filing a false tax return. He reportedly solicited and accepted bribes to help get prospective students into Georgetown.
Ernst was accused of soliciting and receiving bribe payments from William Singer, the admissions counselor behind the scheme, and the families of Georgetown applicants to help them into the university as student-athletes. He reportedly accepted more than $2 million in bribes.
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The Falmouth resident also failed to report all of the income from the bribes he received on his income tax.
He entered into a plea deal where he will face one to four years in prison, two years of supervised release, and forfeit nearly $3.5 million he earned from the scheme.
Ernst is not the first person from Massachusetts to face charges in the scandal. Former Staples executive John Wilson was convicted of paying nearly $1.25 million to get his three kids into schools like Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California.
Ernst will be sentenced on March 2, 2022.
WBZ's Tim Dunn (@ConsiderMeDunn) reports.
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