According to the U.S. Attorney’s Boston Office, charges of conspiracy to circumvent the Harvard University’s school admission process has been laid upon a former Harvard University fencing coach and a businessman who is a resident of Maryland.
For ensuring his sons get hired into the Harvard school’s fencing team. the Maryland residing businessman named Jie “Jack” Zhao allegedly bribed the ex-coach of fencing, Peter Brand. Zhao is 61 years old, whereas Brand is 67 years old.
The charity firm ran by Brand was donated with a sum of more than $1 million by Zhao in 2013, who is known to be running a telecommunications company. And it cannot be a coincidence that 2013 was the same year when one of the two sons of Zhao was admitted to the Harvard school.
The statement released by news goes,” Zhao allegedly paid for Brand’s car, made college tuition payments for Brand’s son, paid the mortgage on Brand’s Needham, Massachusetts, residence, and later purchased the residence for well above its market value, thus allowing Brand to purchase a more expensive residence in Cambridge that Zhao then paid to renovate.”
This statement is released by the U.S. Attorney’s office and it continues a little more,” In total, Zhao made $1.5 million in payments to Brand, or for Brand’s personal benefit, even as Brand recruited Zhao’s younger son to the Harvard fencing team.”
As reported on various trusted news sites the U.S. Attorney Andrew F Lenning’s statement on this case is,” This case is part of our long-standing effort to expose and deter corruption in college admissions. Millions of teenagers strive for college admission every year. We will do our part to make that playing field as level as we possibly can.
Lenning had already named the case wherein 50 individuals participating in the bribery schemes for getting the children of wealthy families in the topmost schools as the “Operation Varsity Blues.” This case has already observed the announcement of indictments against 50 personnel in May 2019.
Both the individuals involved in this case were expected to address the court on Monday, which they did. Brand made the first appearance in Boston, while Zhao in Greenbelt, according to the Department of Justice.
Attorney William Weinreb’s statement to various media outlets states,” Jack Zhao’s children were academic stars in high school and internationally competitive fencers who obtained admission to Harvard on their own merit. Both of them fenced for Harvard at the Division I level throughout their college careers. Mr. Zhao adamantly denies these charges and will vigorously contest them in court.”
Attorney William Weinreb represents Zhao. It is to be noted that if the charges against them come out to be true, both of them will face five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.