A former executive at casino operator Wynn Resorts was sentenced to a year in prison on Wednesday after being convicted of paying $300,000 to bribe his daughter's admission to an elite university.
Gamal Aziz, 64, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and a $250,000 fine after being convicted of two counts of conspiracy by a jury in a Boston courtroom in October.
His sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston, is the longest ever in the scandal. Around 57 others have been charged in connection with the investigation, which alleges that parents conspired with college admissions consultant William Singer to pay bribes in exchange for their children's prestigious college admissions.
Aziz pleaded with United States District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston to show mercy for the sake of his family and sentence him to just four months in prison following his conviction in the first trial stemming from the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal.
Aziz stepped away from the gaming industry in September 2016, when he resigned as president of Wynn Macau. He spent three years as president of development at Wynn Resorts, where he oversaw foreign and domestic expansion opportunities.
Judge Gorton stated that he intended to send a message to wealthy parents who were unscrupulous enough to follow Aziz's lead. According to the judge, Aziz lacked "integrity, morality, and common sense" and "stole an admission spot at a good college from a deserving student who lacked your advantages."
Singer pleaded guilty to facilitating college entrance exam cheating and funneling money from parents to corrupt coaches and athletics officials in order to secure their children's university admission as falsified athletes.
Prior to Wednesday, the longest prison sentence was nine months. Another parent convicted alongside Aziz, John Wilson, the founder of a private equity firm, is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Around 47 of the 57 defendants, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to pay fines and serve time in prison.
The sentencing came hours after a federal appeals court heard the first appeal in the scandal, which involved a former investment executive accused of paying $50,000 to rig his son's college entrance exam.
Aziz, an Egyptian native, is currently listed on his LinkedIn profile as chairman and CEO of Legacy Hospitality Group. His attorneys indicated that he would appeal the conviction.
