A businessman has been found not guilty in Boston federal court on charges that he bribed his daughter's way into Georgetown University, where former Rhode Island student-athlete Gordon Ernst worked as a tennis coach.
Amin Khoury was accused of paying Ernst 180-thousand-dollars to get his kid into the school as a tennis recruit.
US Attorney Rachael Rollins said, "Although we respect the jury’s verdict, we are disappointed. The government believes that the conduct and facts in this case warranted Mr. Khoury’s prosecution. Despite today’s verdict, this investigation, as well as the dozens of successful “Varsity Blues” prosecutions, have resulted in enormous and systemic changes in the college admissions process. These cases writ large have exposed the disturbing, improper, and inequitable role that wealth and privilege can play in distorting a system that is supposed to be merit based.
Ernst, who also coached tennis at URI before the national Varsity Blues scandal broke, is still awaiting sentencing in the case.
(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images