Parents convicted in college scam remain free during appeal

BOSTON (AP) — Two men convicted of buying their kids’ way into top universities will stay out of prison while they appeal their cases in the college admissions bribery scheme, a Boston judge ordered Thursday.

Also Thursday, another judge ruled that a woman who worked for the mastermind of the scheme and took online classes for students to boost their admission prospects won't serve time behind bars.

John Wilson, a former Staples Inc. executive, and Gamal Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, were found guilty last year in the first case to go to trial in the admissions scheme involving wealthy parents and universities.

Dozens of wealthy parents and athletic coaches have pleaded guilty in the case, brought in 2019. They include TV actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin and Loughlin’s fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli.

Wilson was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while Abdelaziz was sentenced to a year. Their sentences are the longest handed down in the case so far.

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton ruled the two can remain free on bail pending appeal of their convictions. His ruling came shortly after prosecutors dropped their opposition to the defense's bid to keep them of prison while they fight their case.

Abdelaziz, of Las Vegas, was charged with paying $300,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit even though she didn’t even make it onto her high school’s varsity team.

Wilson, who heads a Massachusetts private equity firm, was accused of paying $220,000 to have his son designated as a USC water polo recruit and an additional $1 million to buy his twin daughters’ ways into Harvard and Stanford.

Lawyers for Wilson and Abdelaziz have argued that their clients believed they were making legitimate...