Longtime Gaming Executive Feels Exonerated After Conviction Overturned on Appeal

A former executive at casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd was sentenced to a year in prison in 2021 after being convicted of participating in a vast U.S. college admissions fraud scheme by paying $300,000 to bribe his daughter's way into a top university.

Gamal Aziz, 65, asked U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston to show mercy for his family's sake and sentence him to just four months after he was convicted in the first trial to result from the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal.  The investigation found inequalities in higher education leading to over 50 guilty pleas.

"Operation Varsity Blue" also netted a handful of Hollywood celebrities including Lori Loughlin, best known for her roles on "Full House" and the daytime soap "Edge of Night".

Aziz would go on to file an appeal and win.  He remained free during this time.  In fact, Aziz was the only accused parent who was not punished in the case. 

Private equity executive John Wilson were convicted in Massachusetts District Court in October 2021 and sentenced to four months.  He, too, would win on appeal but his conviction for filing a false tax return remained.

While Aziz may feel exonerated, Circuit Judge Sandra Lynch remains unimpressed with his and the other parents behavior.

“Nothing in this opinion should be taken as approval of the defendants’ conduct in seeking college admission for their children,” she said. “We do not say the defendants’ conduct is at all desirable.”

“It’s completely and utterly over,” Aziz said following the ruling. “It was really worth the fight. Normally, these kinds of cases take maybe a year or two years. But because of COVID it lasted for a longer time. There’s never been a single minute when I did not decide to fight for justice and the truth, despite the fact that many others had decided to plead guilty. The great majority of parents did, but I felt that would be a betrayal of justice and my integrity, so I decided to fight it and now I feel I’ve been vindicated.”

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gamlbing911.com