College admissions scandal guilty pleas: Ex-USC soccer coach, 1 other

BOSTON — The bookkeeper who worked for the mastermind of a nationwide college admissions bribery and cheating scheme and a former head women's soccer coach at the University of Southern California both pleaded guilty to racketeering charges Thursday. 

Steve Masera, the former accountant of the sham nonprofit and college consulting company operated by Rick Singer, and Ali Khosroshahin, who coached USC women's soccer from 2007 to 2013, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering during back-to-back court hearings in Boston federal court. 

It means that 22 out of 50 defendants charged – wealthy parents, coaches and other co-conspirators – have now pleaded guilty and waived their rights to trials in the sweeping college admissions scandal as the other 28 defendants still fight charges.

“At the request of Rick Singer, yes ma'am, I sent every one of those checks," Masera told the judge, admitting to sending invoices and receipts to parents, and checks totaling $21 million to college coaches, on Singer's behalf between 2011 and 2017. 

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U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani accepted separate plea agreements reached last month between prosecutors and both men, which includes their cooperation with the U.S. Attorney's Office. That includes furnishing investigators with all documents, objects and other evidence in their possession. 

Prosecutors say Singer and his nonprofit took in more than $25 million in payments from rich parents since 2011 to help get their children into some of the nation's elite colleges. He either funneled portions of the money to test proctors and others to facilitate cheating on the ACT or SAT or to coaches like Khosroshahin to get the children into college as falsified athletic recruits.

It was Masera, according to prosecutors, who oversaw the transactions on Singer's behalf, sending notices to parents for their purported "donation "or "pledge" to the Key Worldwide Foundation or checks to coaches for their participation. Masera left Singer's company and nonprofit in 2017.

Khosroshahin, who led USC to one national championship during his tenure, admitted to falsely designating five recruits as soccer players while he was coach in exchange for $200,000 in bribes that their parents paid to Singer's nonprofit. None of the five applicants tagged as competitive athletic recruits played soccer. He continued to work with Singer after he left USC by connecting him to more coaches in exchange for additional payments. 

"Guilty," Khosroshahin said when asked how he wished to plead. 

He's the second former USC coach to plead guilty to charges in the "Varsity Blues" scandal, joining former assistant USC women's soccer head coach Laura Janke, who worked under him. Former USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and former USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic have both pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges.

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Masera, 69, faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, but the Justice Department has recommended along the low-end of sentence guidelines in exchange for pleading guilty as well as an undetermined amount of restitution. His sentencing date is Oct. 22.

Khosroshahin, 49, also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors are seeking between 46 months and 75 months of prison. In addition, prosecutors have recommended he pay $208,991 in restitution, a sum they say is equal to the proceeds he made from the crime. Prosecutors have recommended that both men receive one year of supervision upon their release. His sentencing is set for Oct. 25.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin O’Connell told the judge that recorded telephone calls, emails and other documents show that Masera conspired with Singer and others to provide “side-door” admissions for the children of parents who paid bribes. He said Masera laundered approximately $21 million from Singer’s clients to coaches and administrators 

As examples, O’Connell singled out Masera’s role to help facilitate payments for the entry of applicants into Georgetown and USC as fabricated recruits.

“Yes, your honor,” Masera said when asked by Talwani whether he took directions from Singer to carry out the payments.

Singer pleaded guilty to four felony charges when the Justice Department announced the scandal in March. He's been cooperating with prosecutors throughout much of the investigation, which began last year. Another of Singer's former employees, Mikaela Sanford, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges.

Khosroshahin led USC to a women's soccer national championship in 2007, his first year with the team, but he was fired in 2013 after three lackluster seasons.  

“They would in turn split the bribe payments for their personal use," O'Connell said. 

O'Connell said Khosroshahin took $200,000 in bribes to facilitate the entry of five recruits with fabricated profiles while at USC but continued to work with Singer after he was fired by connecting Singer to three college coaches at other universities. 

Prosecutors say Khosroshahin and Janke, who pleaded guilty to charges last month, directed payments collected from Singer to a private soccer club that they controlled. 

That includes a $25,000 payments to Khosroshahin in 2016 after he directed a fake soccer profile to former UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo, another defendant, according to prosecutors. Salcedo, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of forwarding it to a UCLA women's soccer coach.

The first sentence for the 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty was handed down earlier this month. Former Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer received two years or supervision and one day of prison deemed already served. Prosecutors had sought 13 months of prison.

Source: USA Today

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