USA v. Colburn, et al

  1. November 10, 2021

    'Varsity Blues' Judge Reluctantly OKs Ex-Prof's 6-Week Term

    A former dentistry professor at the University of Southern California was sentenced to six weeks in prison Wednesday after copping to a tax charge in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case, despite a federal judge initially balking at his plea deal.

  2. November 08, 2021

    Feds Say Victory In 1st 'Varsity Blues' Trial Must Stand

    A bid to undo the first conviction of the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case should be rejected, federal prosecutors argued, saying a casino magnate and a hedge fund founder's own words proved claims that they paid bribes to get their children into top schools.

  3. November 02, 2021

    USC Prof Seeks 6-Week Term For 'Varsity Blues' Tax Charge

    An Iranian-American dentistry professor at the University of Southern California urged a Boston federal judge Tuesday to give him the six-week prison term he negotiated with "Varsity Blues" prosecutors, noting he pled guilty to a tax charge rather than bribery or mail fraud crimes that other parents admitted to.

  4. October 12, 2021

    'Varsity Blues' Verdict Takes Pressure Off Feds — For Now

    Prosecutors' clean sweep in the first trial over the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scheme gives them a road map for victory in future cases without needing to call a central witness who has been accused of stretching the truth, but it leaves the convicted parents with meaty appellate issues, experts say.

  5. October 08, 2021

    1st 'Varsity Blues' Trial Ends With Guilty Verdict

    A Boston federal jury on Friday convicted a former casino magnate and a hedge fund founder in the first trial over the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal, handing prosecutors a signature victory in a case that has ensnared dozens of corporate titans and celebrities and raised issues of wealth, class and corruption at elite American universities.  

  6. October 06, 2021

    In 'Varsity Blues' Closings, It's 'Common Sense' Versus 'Setup'

    A prosecutor urged a jury to use "common sense" to convict two parents on trial in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case, while the defense claimed during closing arguments Wednesday that their clients were "set up" by investigators and the scheme's corrupt ringleader.

  7. October 04, 2021

    1st 'Varsity Blues' Trial Nears End As Parents Rest

    Two parents fighting charges in the first "Varsity Blues" college admissions case rested their defense case Monday after three days of testimony, teeing up closing arguments and deliberations in the high-profile prosecution for later this week.

  8. October 01, 2021

    'Varsity Blues' Player Was On 'Belichick'-Level Team, Jury Told

    The son of a hedge fund founder on trial in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case played for the "Bill Belichick" of water polo at the University of Southern California, a jury heard Friday, as the defense sought to prove the teen was a legitimate athlete.

  9. September 30, 2021

    'Varsity Blues' Jury Won't Hear Ringleader's 'Side-Door' Pitch

    Two parents on trial in the "Varsity Blues" case can't play recordings for jurors in which the scheme's mastermind makes his college admissions "side-door" sound like a legitimate operation, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled from the bench Thursday.

  10. September 29, 2021

    Feds Rest 'Varsity Blues' Case As Focus Shifts To Defense

    Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday in the first trial over the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scheme, as defense lawyers prepared to call witnesses to rebut two weeks of testimony detailing an alleged quid pro quo to admit rich families' kids to elite universities as fake athletic recruits.