Two USC athletic department employees — a high-ranking administrator and a legendary head coach — were fired Tuesday after being indicted in federal court in Massachusetts for their alleged roles in a racketeering conspiracy that helped students get into elite colleges and universities by falsely designating them as recruited athletes.
A USC official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and men’s and women’s water polo coach Jovan Vavic were fired after allegedly receiving bribes totaling more than $1.3 million and $250,000, respectively, to help parents take advantage of the relaxed admissions standards for athletes at USC even though their children were not legitimately being recruited as athletes.
Former USC women’s soccer coach Ali Khosroshahin, who was fired in 2013, and his former assistant coach, Laura Janke, who left the school in 2014, were also named in the indictment for allegedly fabricating athlete profiles for the prospective students. Khosroshahin and Janke allegedly received payments totaling nearly $350,000 sent to their private soccer club.
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday indicted dozens of people — including UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo and actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin — in connection with an elaborate scheme aimed at getting students into elite colleges.
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