Federal prosecutors say a businessman paid Harvard University's fencing coach at least $1.5 million in bribes beginning in 2013 to get his sons admitted to the school.
CNN reports that the former coach, Peter Brand, 67, and the businessman, Jie "Jack" Zhao, 61, have been charged with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery in connection with the alleged arrangement.
Zhao, of Potomac, Md., is the CEO of telecom company iTalk Global Communications.
Brand was Harvard's men's and women's fencing coach from 1999 until last year, when he was fired by the university in the wake of allegations about the bribery scheme.
The new charges are the latest in the widespread college admissions scam, in which parents of college applicants used their wealth to cheat on standardized tests, bribe sports coaches and lie about the payments.
[FROM 2019: Harvard fires fencing coach after home sale is questioned]
An attorney for Zhao has denied the charges.
"Jack Zhao's children were academic stars in high school and internationally competitive fencers who obtained admission to Harvard on their own merit," attorney Bill Weinreb said in a statement. "Both of them fenced for Harvard at the Division One level throughout their college careers. Mr. Zhao adamantly denies these charges and will vigorously contest them in court."
An attorney for Brand did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The complaint against Zhao alleges that he made payments totaling $1.5 million to Brand in exchange for recruiting Zhao's two sons to the fencing team, thereby facilitating their acceptance to Harvard.
In February 2013, Zhao made a purported donation of $1 million to a fencing charity operated by a co-conspirator, prosecutors say. Zhao's older son was admitted to Harvard as a fencing recruit in December 2013
