Georgetown University's former head tennis coach has pleaded guilty to taking bribes from families of students seeking admission to the school.
Federal prosecutors said that Gordon Ernst, 54, accepted bribes of more than $3 million payments from college admissions consultant Rick Singer and families of prospective college applicants to Georgetown.
In return, "Ernst agreed to designate numerous applicants as purported recruits for the Georgetown tennis team, including some who did not play tennis competitively," a 2020 federal indictment stated. The scheme began in 2012 and continued until 2018, when Ernst left Georgetown.
Under a plea deal, Ernst admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, three counts of federal programs bribery and one count of filing a false tax return. He will forfeit more than $3.4 million and receive a sentence of between one and four years in prison.
The case against Ernst is part of the so-called Operation Varsity Blues college admissions investigation, which has led to charges against more than 50 coaches, athletic directors and wealthy parents, including actresses Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman.
About four dozen people have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation.
